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••Lest we forget; lest we forget." 



RECOLLECTIONS 



— : OF THE — : 

Log School House Period, 

AND SKETCHEvS OF 

LIFE AND CUSTOMS 

PIONEER DAYS. 

Bv Jno. S. Mixakd. 
Illustrated by 

R. J. TUCKEK. 



Free Press Print, 

Cuba, N. Y. 

1905. 






klSRARYof MNGSESS 
Ivvu Oopies rtticciveu 

j juN 30 iyu5 

COPY B. ' 



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Copyright, i905. 
By Jno. S. Minard. 
All rights reserved. 



■YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES" 



Affectionately Dedicated 

to the memory of the 

LOG SCHOOL HOUSE. 

The Dear Old 

ALMA MATER 

of 

PIONEER DAYS, 

and its Alumni, who 

FELLED OUR FORESTS, 

CLEARED OUR FIELDS, 

OPENED OUR ROADS- 

and 

Filled With Credit, Every Public Position, From' 

PATHMASTER TO PRESIDENT. 



YE OLD 

LOG SCHOOL HOUSE 

TYMES. 

"O memory! thou midway world 

'Twixt earth and paradise, 
Where things decayed and loved, once lost, 

In dreamy shadows rise, 

And, freed from all that's earthly vile, 
Seem hallowed, pure and bright; 

Like scenes in some enchanted isle 
All bathed in liquid light ! " 

— A. Lincoln. 



PREFACE. 

So far as the author's observation extends, our bibliography 
presents no one book wherein the subjects which furnish the 
headings for the several chapters in this little volume, are 

treated. 

Painfully aware of this fact, and of the hesitancy on the part 
of writers of known ability to attempt the work, he has devoted 
much of the time for the past year to the preparation of the 
matter, and in arranging for the proper illustrations of this 
book, in the hope that it may atone in some degree for this 

neglect. 

He makes no claim to literary excellence, but m his own 
plain way has treated the various subjects in language which, 
he trusts may at least be understood, and flatters himself that 
in so doing, he has rescued from an early oblivion some of the 
customs, practices, implements and utensils, prevalent m pion- 
eer days, and, incidentally forestalled the work of the archaeol- 
ogist in exploring old attics, and explaining to future genera- 
tions the uses and purposes to which the strange things therein 
found were devoted. 

More than any one else possibly can, he regrets that he has 
been unable to bring to the work more ability, and a better 
style in composition: he hopes, however, that such lack will be 
considered by a charitable public, as fully compensated by the 
aptitude and ability displayed by Mr. R. J. Tucker, in the illus- 
trations. 

It is rare indeed to find one in whom such artistic ability ana 
great fondness for the things which were peculiar to the olden 
times, are so happily united. 



PREFACE. 

The author desires to express his grateful acknowledgments 
to the many kind friends, who by suggestion and otherwise, 
have been so great a help in the prosecution of the work. 

To others, and from differing points of view, some things 
described and matters treated of in "Ye Old Log School House 
Tynies", may be subject to criticism: but it was the author's 
fortune, for the first five or six terms, to attend school ir a log 
.school house, which is faithfully pictured on the covei- It 
stood on the bank of Rush Creek; in district No. 8, Hume, Al- 
legany County, N. Y., and within the limits of the Caneadea 
Indian Reservation. 

That was his view point. In other localities some things 
might have been, and doubtless were, quite different. 

Cuba, N. Y., Mar. 1905. JNO. S. :\IINARD. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

To the lasting credit of our pioneers, must be recorded the 
fact, that the first things to which their attention was turned 
and their energies directed after rearing their rude cabins and 
planting among the blackened stumps and logs their first crops, 
were schools and churches. 

And so, of necessity and quite naturally, the log school house 
became an institution distinctly associated with, and peculiar 
to, the pioneer period. It was indeed the Alma Mater, from 
which graduated so many boys and girls, who went forth into 
the world with what most people of to-day would consider the 
merest apology for an education, but who, nevertheless, 
worthily filled the positions, to which they were called, and 
honorably discharged the duties and responsibilities which de- 
volved upon them in the great battle of life. 

As a matter of sentiment therefore, with many of our older 
people, the old log school house is the center around which 
cluster many hallowed associations, the thought of which 
awakens many delightful recollections, and some of the dearest 
of pleasant memories. 

And so, with no attempt at apology, this chapter, prefatory 
to the treatment of the log school house subjects, will be closed 
by quoting the following verses, used by the late Judge A. J. 
Abbott in his address at the Geneseo Centennial in 1890. He 

entitled them 

AN OLD MAN'S DREAMINGS. 

Iv'e been dreaming of the school house, 

Built of logs upon the hill. 
Where the girls and boys together 

Drank from learning's fountain rill. 



Tho' that temple raised to science. 
Long hath moldered in decay. 

In my dreams it hath been ringing 
With our merry noon-time play, 
Dreaming, dreaming. 



I've been dreaming — there we gathered 

Choicest branches from the grove. 
To betrim the rough old school-walls: 

Then the boughs we interwove 
Into graceful forms and mottoes 

For an inspiration high: 
"Onward" "Upward" "Home and Heaven' 

"Truth and Virtue" "Do or Die". 



I've been dreaming — then the children 

Having mastered A, B, C, 
Battled upward till they conquered 

Daboll and his "Rule of Three" 
"Webster's Speller" "Murray's Reader" 

"Olney's Geog." and "Kirkham's Gram. 
And the while Hale's glorious story 

Of our dear old "Uncle Sam". 



I've been dreaming of the triumph 

When the school day tasks v/ere done, 
Of the happy youth or maiden 

Who the merit badge had won: 
Of the fixed determination 

Of each girl or boy who lost, 
To be victor on the morrow 

Whate'er of study it might cost. 



I've been dreaming — there we rallied 

From the country far and wide. 
In the cold, bright winter evenings, 

Full of zeal and youthful pride. 
To determine who the longest, 

On their feet could bravely stand. 
Spelling words of all the hardest 

That the teacher could command. 

I've been dreaming — in those battles 

For the mastery in spelling, 
The excitements, struggles, triumphs. 

Were of language past the telling: 
But a bright and lovely maiden, 

(I'm constrained to tell the story) 
Over all the boy contestants. 

Won the meed of highest glory. 



I've been dreaming of the hill tops 

Where those merry girls and boys. 
Gathered frequent in the winter. 

Full of fun and clamorous noise, 
On our sleds in line of lightning, 

Down the hill we flashing go. 
Laughing, shrieking, as some trickster 

Tips the crowd into the snow. 
Dreaming, dreaming. 




-^ School Hovse 



•\^ 



The school houses of the earlier 
^" pioneer days presented as much variety 

,/.<f7///f '/;//(!" WW,///// jj^ style, both of exterior and interior, as was 

presented by the physical conditions of the different localities 
chosen for their sites. No two were alike, for the tastes of the 
settlers differed as much in matters of school house construc- 
tion as in other things. After awhile, however, there came to 
be a sort of fashion which was generally observed in their con- 
struction, and which made their exteriors resemble each other 
much more than their interiors. In some localities schools 
were organized and conducted before the erection of the school 
house, even shingle shanties and barns being made to answer 
the purpose. 

Some of the very first were of the rudest kind imaginable, 
and were covered with a single roof like a shed. The walls of 
all of them were alike in that they were laid up in the form of 
a square pen, in ground size from 18 to 20 by 26 to 30 feet, 
locked together with more or less skill, according to the ability 
and care of the builders. The openings for the doors and 



I YE OLD LOG SCHOOL TYMES. 

windows were sawed out, the walls being carried to a height of 
about ten feet. The interstices between the logs were "chinked 
up" with sticks split or hewed in proper shape, and held in 
place by wooden pins or nails, over which w^ould be spread a 
coating of mud plaster. In limestone sections, real lime mortar 
was sometimes used. In some the openings for the windows 
were made for the sash to be shoved sideways like shop 
windows, while in others they were made for the windows to 
be raised and lowered. In some instances the school houses 
were built before sash and glass came to the settlement; in which 
cases the openings for windows would be filled with oiled paper 
or cheap factory cloth. The doors were made of thick boards 
or planks and hung on wooden hinges, and wooden latches 
were used to fasten them. A leather string was fastened to 
the latch which was inside, and passed through a hole at a con- 
venient height to insure its always "hanging out". By pulling 
the string the latch would be raised and then the door was free 
to open. 

Occasionally some mischievous urchin, purposely the first 
one there in the morning, would untie the knot and push the 
string back through the door before the teacher came. Then, 
seeking some safe hiding place where he could easily observe 
the situation, he would quietly await results. Resort would 
then be had to the windows, and if they were found fastened, 
it made considerable trouble to get in. 

If perchance, some "Smart Aleck" had been watching and 
informed the teacher, the mischieveous young culprit might 
get his "jacket tanned". But any way and however it might 
be, it was considered a good joke on the teacher. When the 
school 'preceded the saw-mill, as it sometimes did, the floor 
was made by splitting basswood logs in halves, straightening 
the edges, bedding the round parts in the earth, and laying 
them close together. In some cases however, hewed plank 
were used for the floors, and a floor made in this fashion 



THE SCHOOL HOUSE. J 

certainly had the merit of being; solid and substantial, to say 
the least, and answered the purpose tolerably well. 

The sides and one end of the log school house were devoted 
to seats and desks. If the [sawmill was reasonably near, the 
seats were made by laying good pine boards upon hardwood 
sticks driven into holes bored in the logs. In front of these 
seats were the desks, and in front of the desks, which served 
as backs for them, were other seats upon which the "small boy" 
of the period usually sat. Sometimes the desks .were made 
next to, and fronting the walls, and the seats were rude benches 
without backs, ranged along in front. In the first mentioned 
way of construction, a pupil sitting near the middle of the seat 
could not leave it without disturbing several others, and the 
pupils faced the teacher. In the other, their backs were pre- 
sented to the teacher, and one could leave without disturbing 
others. Each way had its merits, and to each there were some 
objections. 

It may be remarked right here that those "clear stuff" pine 
desk tops were a great temptation to such of the boys who 
could boast the possession of a jack-knife, and afforded an 
excellent opportunity for the gratification of a propensity which 
so distinguishes the American school boy: — result, in spite of 
all rules to the contrary, and a sharp lookout on the part of the 
teacher, those desks, after only a brief term of service, present- 
ed an incomprehensible maze of hieroglyphics, and the edges 
would discount by considerable, the business part of any up to 
date cross cut saw. 

Were it possible for a modern observer to scan one of those 
old log school houses the fire place would strike him as the most 
impressive feature of the whole establishment. It appropriated 
the larger part of one end, usually the one nearest the door. 
A broad hearth of flat stones was laid and the chimney stack 
was built upon it; in some cases only a huge wall of earth and 
stones, which served as a back for the fires, was carried up as 



YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 4 

high as the ceiling, when from there on up through the roof 
and to a height which was considered sufificient to secure good 
draft to fire and smoke, it was made of sticks which might be 
edgings from the saw-mill, laid up in cob-house style aud 
covered with a thick plaster of mud. When those chimneys 
became thoroughly seasoned, the mud would fall off in patches, 
which made quite an undesirable condition, for a single spark 
might start a fire which would soon destroy the house. When 
such a condition was found, and extreme cold weather came on, 
big fires were quite necessary to insure comfort, but occassioned 
considerable solicitude. It was the custom during such 
seasons to detail some of the boys by turns to watch the fire. 
So, seated upon a stool near the fire, with a bucket of water by 
his side, and a huge squirt gun made especially for the purpose 
in hand, he would direct a steam upon any little blaze which 
might be started, and quickly put it out. It was the practice in 
some of those early schools, to have the wood prepared by the 
"big boys" during recess, and at noon time, the patrons having 
previously at a bee held for the purpose, drawn a quantity of 
tree-trunks, and poles and smaller trees cut in "sled lengths," 
into the school yard. 

As already intimated, the fire place was of no mean or even 
ordinary proportions. It would, if required, take an average 
sized modern saw-log for a back-log or forestick, and with well 
seasoned wood, what a rousing fire could be made, and how 
cheerful and comfortable it would look, and feel too, on those 
cold winter mornings! If however, for want of dry wood or 
from any other cause, the fire went down, the remote parts of 
tlie room would soon cool off, and the scholars would be asking 
to go to the fire, and if the fire persisted in not "going," as 
they used to say, in a short time the whole school would stand 
shivering in front of the fireplace, while the master and some of 
the "big boys" would ply their best efforts to make it burn. 

It sometimes became neccessary to repair the old fireplace, 
when, in case of failure to get the proper kind of stones for the 



THE SCHOOL House. 5 

purpose, exciting" incidents were liable to follow: for, when 
standing in classes "toeing the mark" and spelling, or reading 
in Hole's History, or Cobb's Reader, the heated stones would 
explode, creating more excitement, dismay and consternation 
among the terrified pupils than would a bomb sliell exploding 
in the midst of a squad of disciplined soldiers. Some, though 
not all of these fireplaces were provided with heavy large and- 
irons. 

For one thing at least, other than dispensing heat in cold 
weather, is that dear old fireplace to be kindly remembei'ed. 
It was just the place for cooking links of sausage and slices 
of ham, which would, presented to the coals on the pointed 
end of a long stick, and skilfully turned, take a roast which 
would tempt the most exacting member of that most famous 
New York Beef Steak Club of these first years of the twentieth 
century. Even now, wafted back over the lapse of more than 
half a century which has intervened, comes the sweet incense, 
the delectable fragrance of the roasting ham, and sausage of 
the old log school house memory, at once delicious, exhil- 
irating; ambrosial even! an odor, to speak it plainly, to which 
the kitchen of The Waldorf— Astoria is a stranger, and which 
would excite the envy of the best of New York's noted chefs. 

The furniture of "Ye Old Tyme" log school house consisted 
of a cross legged table, a splint bottomed, high back chair, a 
splint broom, a water pail and dipper, and in exceptional in- 
stances a fire shovel and tongs. 

In case the stove was introduced before the log school house 
had filled out its time, the fireplace would be boarded up, and 
if the house was large enough, a small room, including the 
abandoned fireplace, would be partitioned off, making a con- 
venient storehouse for wood, and places for hanging hats, caps, 
shawls and dinner pails. This was esteemed a great improve- 
ment, and the districts which fi.rst had the stoves, looked down 
upon those which still made use of the fireplace, as decidedly 



6 YE OLD LUG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

"Old Fogyish" and lamentably behind the times, while they 
were quite "up to date." 

Log school houses are still in use in some sections, but com- 
pared with the whole number of school houses, they are few. 
In 1865 there were still in the state of New York 202: in 1875, 
90: in 1885, 70: in 1895, 33: in 1896, 25: in 1901, 21. 

In the state of Michigan in about 1890, there were 309. 




It is not likely that the pupils of the 
p'oneer schools presented more variety in 
facial expression, than those of the schools 
of our time: but in point of dress, and in 
some other particulars, they displayed a variety which was 
truly remarkable. The fabrics of which their clothing was 
made, with the exception of the "factory cloth," as many still 
call it, which of necessity formed a part more or less, were of 
the homespun, homemade and homedyed kinds. The cut and 
make up of the garments would surpass in number of styles, any 
first class clothing house in America. Many of the boys wore 
roundabouts, and others a kind of a blouse, fastened with a belt 
which could be taken up or let out, to suit the varying circum- 
ference of the wearer. Scarce any two were alike, only as they 
chanced to come from the same family. 

Perhaps some of the younger readers may not know what a 
round-about was, as they are not worn now-a-days. They 



8 VE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TVMES. 

were the waist part only, of a coat, but generally made a little 
longer to admit of pockets in the sides, as in a vest, and also 
to contribute more to the warmth of the wearer. Caps appeared 
in every conceivable shape, color and style of fabric, some 
perhaps made from remnants, and cut out after a pattern 
brought from "way down east" by some kind and thoughtful 
"Aunt Ophelia" when she visited the family the last summer, 
and quite likely made up by her: while others were of yarn, 
knit in fantastic stripes, and finished ofif at the top with a tassel 
made from thrums. This last kind could be quickly pulled off 
and thrust into the pocket for convenience, a feature which 
strongly commended it to some of the boys. 

In the winter the girls wore plaid flannel dresses, and knit 
hoods. Pantalets prevailed, and were regarded as the proper 
thing. Some of the girls wore shoes made from the legs of 
their father's worn out boots by the shoemaker as he made his 
rounds, "whipping the cat" and making his own pegs where- 
ever he did his work. Such shoes, though they would not now 
be considered very nice, did good service, and in those days 
before the advent of India rubber overshoes, if only well 
greased, kept the feet dry and warm. Boots, in every way like 
those of the boys, only lighter, were also worn in winter. 

As to the personnel of the school: there was the tall, green 
"Lanky Bob" who could do considerably more than the average 
man's work at "logging" or "chopping fallow", who only went 
to school part of the time in the winter, and then had a hard 
time of it in getting his mind on his books. But he could 
"down" any boy in the school, was the leader in all the sports, 
and in sliding down hill (beg pardon, coasting) was the 
champion in his favorite style of riding, which was called 
"belly-gut": not a very choice or refined expression but an 
eminently suggestive one, as any one, even of the most or- 
dinary intelligence, will readily imderstand its meaning. 



THE PUPILS. y 

There was the sober, candid, matter-of-fact boy, who, though 
not especially bright or quick to learn, kept plodding away at 
his books, persisting in his studies to the degree which made 
him oblivious to his surroundings, and who, when the "last 
day" came, scored a good degree of improvement and was 
always relied upon by his teacher for good behaviour, and an 
example for others. 

Every school of course had its "smart Aleck." He was easy 
to commit, and it was a great wonder to him that others could 
not learn as easily as he. He had lots of time on his hands 
after getting his required lessons. If he were inclined to mis- 
chief, as he sometimes was, the school was the worse for his 
bsing there, but if he v^^ere well disposed as to order and de- 
portment, then the worst that could be said of him was, that he 
was conceited, vain and egotistical, and the scholars v\'ould re- 
gard him only as a source of innocent amusement and let him 
go. 

Every school had its little "tow-head" of a boy who was 
always on the alert for everything out of the usual course was 
going on: whose eyes and ears were always open: who took it 
upon himself to inform the teacher if any mischief was brewing. 
If any sly prank or caper was cut up, he was sure to know it, 
and straightway to the teacher he would go and tell of it. 
Sometimes the boys whose displeasure he had incurred, would 
make it extremely uncomfortable for him for that very reason. 

Then there was the "tough case", the decidedly bad boy, 
who cared little or nothing about his studies, acted as though 
h2 thought it unmanly to obey the rules of the schools, seemed 
to court a whipping, and if he thought the chances were any- 
thing lik-e even, would not hesitate to resist the teacher in the 
infliction of merited punishment. Occasionally the boy whose 
trousers had become worn or torn in the seat, so as to expose 
that part of a garment usually kept concealed, was "in 
evidence." The other boys would then say that he "had a 
letter in the post oflice." 



10 VE OLD LOCx SCHOOL HOUSE TVMES. 

The girls, be it said, were as a rule more tractable, and 
caused the teacher vastly less trouble than the boys: but they 
presented fully as great a variety in appearance. There was 
the biggest girl in school, and sometimes it meant a pretty 
large one, who seemed to think because she was woman grown, 
the master would hardly dare to correct her. She made it ex- 
ceedingly unpleasant for the teacher, but she counted without 
her host sometimes, when she found a teacher who was just as 
ready to correct her, if indeed not a little more so, as any of 
the smaller ones, and then there was likely to be a scene. 

There was another big girl, the tall, awkward, slouchy 
looking big girl, who was the full match for her male counter- 
part. She was found in almost every school. The pretty little 
girl who lisped must not be forgotten. vShe was good looking, 
in fact pretty. She was a good scholar, always had her lessons, 
was regular in attendance, attended well to all her duties, and 
made no trouble for the teacher, but she lisped. There, too, 
was the girl that cried, cried upon the least provocation, and 
seemed always on the watch for provocations for crying. And 
the laughing girl was just about as bad, though it must be 
admitted, that a girl when laughing looks better than when she 
is crying. But the laughing girl could not help it. She would 
laugh at the most trivial thing imaginable, and was always on 
the titter. 

In some of the districts near to the reservations, Indian 
children were sometimes sent to school, but not very regularly. 
Their attendance added another element and contributed to the 
variety both in appearance and characteristics. It is needless 
to dwell further on the personal appearances and characteris- 
tics of the pupils. 

Let us consider some of their names. Of the boys were 
found Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Esau, Moses, Joshua, Elisha, Joab, 
Aaron, Benjamin, Jonathan, Jedadiah, Hezekiah, Ezekiel and 
others. The girls carried such names as Rebecca, Keturah, 
Abigail, Mahalah, Hagar, Prudence, Patience, Thankful and 
others, mostly Bible names. Of course no one school would 



THE PUPILS. 11 

appropriate this whole aggregation of names: but in going 
through three or four schools, you would be sure to find them 
all, and more beside. 

It would sound strange indeed now, to listen to the roll call 
of a school made up of such names, as children are seldom so 
christened in these days. But go to the cemeteries, where the 
pioneer dead were interred, and you will find them cut in 
enduring inscriptions on grave stones. Many of their names 
are also recorded, together with their deeds, in town and 
countv histories. 




The teachers of the log school house period presented fully 
as great a variety as do the teachers of to-day who come from 
colleges, normal schools, high schools, union schools and sem- 
inaries: and they came from about as great a variety of sources. 
In some instances men of rare intellectual capacity "taught the 
young idea how to shoot", in those rude old structures j\Ien 
like Gen. Micah Brooks, who afterward became member of as- 
sembly, congressman and delegate to the state constitutional 
Convention in 1821, and A. N. Cole, who became the able 



THE TEACHERS. 13 

editor, versatile writer, and the reputed father of the republi- 
can party; and others who might be mentioned, who achieved 
distinction in one way or another, held sway for a time in the 
log school house. 

Compared with modern standards the average teacher of 
those days was not a very highly educated individual, and this 
was one of the necessities of the time. Indeed it could not 
have been otherwise. Many of the people honestly, though of 
course ignorantly, claimed that the "Three Rs" (Reading, 
'Riting and 'Rithmetic) were all that were required to consti- 
tute a good, practical education. If such happened to be the 
trustees, or, if before the day of trustees, they were the lead- 
ing settlers in the neighborhood, and it was often the case, 
they were quite apt to put their ideas into practice when a 
teacher was employed, and so it came about that many average 
teachers, and some very inferior ones even, were installed as 
instructors in the pioneer schools. 

Many of the settlers were unable to pay their share toward 
the support of a school in money, so men and women were found 
who had families, who would agree to take their pay in part, 
if not wholly, in provisions, or in fact anything which the set- 
tlers had surplus of, and wanted to sell, and they wished to 
purchase. Here are two specimen subscriptions: "I give one 
bushel of buckwheat and one cord of wood to Joshua Rathbun 
for teaching my two boys three months." "I give one quar- 
ter of beef and three bushels of Indian corn, for my four boys' 
schooling this winter." 

Occasionally the service of some aged m.an who, when a boy, 



14 



VE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TVIMES 



had for a term or two at- 
ended some academy 
way "down east", whd 
after that taught winter 
scho ols in the 
neighborhood and 
had been clerk of his 
native town till past 
the meridian of life, 
and then emigrated to 
the wonderful "Gene- 
see country", the "far 
west" of those days, and 
whom the artist has so 
well depicted in the cut, 
would be secured. He 
could teach the winter 
school and do his morning 
and evening chores, and 
the small wages his pa- 
trons thought they could 
pay would help him out 
in various ways. 
There was the young man 

from the village who stood at the head of the class in the best 
school in town, who had helped for a time in the pioneer store, 
and so was expected to be "good in figures", who wore clothes 
cut and made by the tailor, calf skin boots, and a hat or cap 
brought all the way from New York! He would sometimes 
get a school. 

And then there was the pompous, grandiloquent fellow, dis- 
tinguished more than anything else for having the whole voca- 
bulary of Webster's or Worcester's dictionary at his tongue's 




THE TEACHERS. 15 

end, accustomed to the use of the longest and biggest words, 
and a wholesale dealer in adjectives and superlatives. He 
sometimes managed to secure a school, and it afforded the 
means and opportunity of exercising his powers of speech. 
He was loquacity personified. He it was who, having occas- 
sion, as he thought, to call a boy out on the floor, did so in 
these not over-choice terms: "Here, you long-haired, lop-eared, 
lousy devil, you come out here". 

Then there was the stout built, broad shouldered, strong and 
muscular pedagogue. He delighted in displays of strength 
and athletic feats, a good wrestler withal: who prided himself 
on the high degree of order he maintained in his school, and 
was always quoting the old adage, "Order is heaven's first 
law". If an unruly boy had the temerity to break the rules or 
provoke him in any way, he just seemed to enjoy "mopping 
the floor" with him, and so giving such an exhibition of his 
power as would awe the whole school into submission and in- 
spire terror in the hearts of the biggest boys. 

It sometimes happened that an uncommonly smart man, or 
one whose fame as a scholar had preceded him, was secured 
for a term. Of course, he soon became the talk of the neigh- 
borhood, and was looked upon with feelings of awe and won- 
der. 

" 'Twas certain he could write, and cipher too: 
Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage, 
And e'en the story ran that he could gauge. 
In arguing, too, the parson owed his skill, 
For, e'en though vanquished, he could argue still: 
While words of learned length and thunderous sound 
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around: 
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew. 
That one small head could carry all he knew". 

Of female teachers there was the inevitable Mrs. Brown or 
Mrs. Jones, who lived quite near to the school house, and 
could so manage things at home, that by early rising, sitting 



16 VE OLD LOG vSCIIOOL HOUSE TVISIES. 

Up late, and "hustling things" generally, she coukl eke out the 
time devoted to the school. She could "read, write and 
cipher" and as that was about all that was required, and she 
could teach for small pay, she answered the purpose quite well, 
and managed to ^et along with the school. 

Then there was the tidy, sprightly, bright eyed little Miss, 
still in her younger teens, who had been "off to school". She 
was occasionally employed. In case her home was remote 
from the district, her brother would come with her to the 
school on Monday mornings on horseback: (as likely as any- 
way, the two on one horse), following a good part of the way 
the bridle path, and quite likely some young fellow, not her 
brother, would come for her in the same way at the close of 
the week. 

A young lady teacher of Caneadea secured a school in the 
north part of Hume, some eight miles away from her home. 
It was before the Indians had left the reservation. One Satur- 
day afternoon, a young man from whom she was receiving 
some attention, came after her, riding one and leading another 
horse, upon which the fair one was to ride home. When near 
the hut of old Long Beard, a violent storm set in. "Any port 
in a storm", thought they, and hurriedly sought the kindly 
shelter of the aged chief's abode, and were warmly welcomed. 
The storm continued, it really poured, and kept on till near 
morning, compelling them to stay. In the morning the rain 
ceased and they were able to resume their way home. The 
night spent with Long Beard was however, in after years, a 
pleasant memory, dark and stormy as it was. 

And there was the old maid of uncertain age, who, acting up- 
on the advice and suggestion of friends who had made their 
home in the new country, and her people at home, had quit the 
east and come "out west" to re-engage in teaching, to which 
she had already devoted her best years. She was capable, ef- 
ficient, and kept a good school. It was even said she was 



THE TEACHERS. 



17 



familiar with the rudiments of grammar! 




Sh2 was the typical 
New England 
spinstsr, w a s 
thrifty and laid 
up money, but 
--omehow i n 
the mating up 
of her assoc- 
iates, had been 
ft out, had 
tailed to find 
her "aflfinity" 
or h3r "atf.- 
((ijnity" had fail- 



ed to find her. 
The school she 
taught was a 
model for 
those days, — 
but all the 
while she had 
her eye on 
that bachelor 
settler over on 
the other road, 
who boarded 
at Deacon 
Smith's, t h e 

next neighbor. She "set her cap for him", landed her game, 
and in du'i time they were married, and her school teaching 
days were ended. This is no fancy sketch. Such things oc- 
curred lots of times during the log school house period, and 
later. Parallel cases are found even in these days. 

From 75 cents to $2.00 per week was paid for teaching the 
summer schools, the latter price being the maximum for 



18 VE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TVMES. 

extra good teachers in the most well to do districts as late as 
1846. Better wages were paid for teaching the winter schools, 
and male teachers were generally employed. There were only 
two terms in the year, and were called the summer school and 
the winter school, and the teachers were addressed as "school- 
master" and "schoolma'am". A teacher's outfit usually con- 
sisted of an old fashioned English "bull's eye" watch, a -good 
hickory or cherry ruler, a plummet, and a good penknife. 
Alternate Saturdays, or every Saturday afternoon, they had 
for themselves. No bells were used to call the school. The 
teacher would rap loudly with the rules on the door or window 
casing. It was then said, "school has rapped" and they would 
all hie them to the school house. 




Having considered separately the teacher and the pupils, let 
us turn our attention to the school in session. To suit the 
purpose, let us think of ourselves as visiting one of those old 
time schools on a clear, cold day in winter, for then, with the 
possible exception of the smallest pupils, we shall find all the 
variety possible in one of those schools. It is just at the close 
of the noon-hour frolic: "school has rapped", so let us go m. 
A rousing fire sends warmth and cheer to the remotest part 
of the room, while in its immediate vicinity, the heat is almost 
intolerable. The scholars have all taken their seats and re- 
sumed, or at least pretended to resume, their studies, save one, 
the irrepressible and incorrigible small boy who for some rea- 
son, not alwavs apparent but still generally easily surmised, 



20 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

has been sentenced to the "dance block", and whose terra has 
not yet expired. His head is adorned with a tall, sharply point- 
ed, conical, paper cap, on which appear in large letters the 
word "DUNCE". 

Parenthetically, to clear his conscience, and vindicate "the 
truth of history", the author will here remark that his earliest 
recollection of the "deestrict skule" is intimately associated 
with the "dunce block". Indeed it is about all that he can dis- 
tinctly remember of his first term of school. In the chair by 
the cross-legged table sits "ye pedagogue", in this instance a 
tall, gray haired, mild mannered man of medium weight, vener- 
able in appearance and intelligent in feature. His nose is bridged 
with a pair of spectacles the frame of which, if drawn out and 
properly utilized, would perceptibly help to enclose a ten acre 
lot. They are securely fastened with a string passed through 
the holes at the ends of the bows, and tied behind his head. 
This is to prevent them from being thrown off in case of a 
sudden movement, or, in the event not always unlikely or im- 
probable, of a violent encounter with some refractory pupil. 
He is indeed a veritable and genuine Methuselah Wayback, and 
conducts his school precisely as schools were conducted when 
he was a boy, and that was many, many years ago. We look 
in vain for the blackboard, that indispensible requisite of the 
modern school room. The day of the blackboaid has not yet 
dawned. 

Classes, except in reading and spelling, are unknown. When 
a scholar learns the lesson he or she exclaims "Schoolmas- 
ter, I've got my lesson", advances with book open to the place 
and having handed it to the instructor, proceeds to repeat the 
text. If well committed, and the recitation is perfect, some- 
times indeed, if only fairly good, another lesson is given and 
the operation is repeated, perhaps several times a day. We 
notice the reading and spelling classes, the only class in the 
school, are not provided with seats, but are required to form 



MASTER WAYBACK'S SCHOOL. 21 

in a row in the middle of the floor, made to stand erect, with 
heads up and "toes to the mark", which is generally some pro- 
minent crack in the floor, each one bringing his toes to it. 

Let us witness the spelling exercises. The class, composed 
of eight or ten scholars, takes it place on the floor, each one 
toeing the mark. The master commands "attention", then 
"obedience", the boys bow their heads and the girls courtesy, 
or make "kerchee", as many called it; done by slightly bend- 
ing the knees, sometimes adding a slight bowing of the head. 
One end is called the head, the other the foot, of the class. 
Beginning at the head, they repeat the numbers, first, second, 
third and so on, or one, two, three, down to the foot of the 
class. The teacher opens the book, which is of course Web- 
ster's elementary, and turning to the lesson, pronounces the 
words, beginning at the head. If a scholar misspells a word 
it is given to the next one who, if correctly spelling it, takes 
the place of the one who failed, as also if missed by a number 
of others. The one who leaves oflf at the head to-day goes to 
the foot of the class tomorrow. We notice that this class, in ad- 
dition to spelling, takes lessons in abreviations, like D.D. for 
doctor of divinity, M.A. for master of arts, &c. — also the Latin 
words and phrases found in the back of the book, and they are 
allowed to "go up" on them in the same manner as in spelling. 
The spelling lesson beginning with the word "baker" was a 
sort of milestone, as it were, to mark the progress of the tyro 
in spelling, and "you can't spell baker", became a term of re- 
proach and a slang phrase in those days. 

Sometimes a laughable, ludicrous, or even ridiculous inci- 
dent would occur in the spelling class. A teacher friend used 
to relate one which occured in his school, in a remarkably 
happy way. Here it is in brief: but a good story teller would 
embellish it, and make it more interesting by gesture and ac- 
tion than the mere reading of it can possibly be. The word 
"baker" was pronounced to a great, tall, awkward boy whose 



22 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES 

dress denoted the abject poverty which prevailed in "the 
slashes" from whence he hailed. He was suffering from a ter- 
rible cold, his nasal discharges were profuse, and he had no 
hahdkerchief: but he could "spell baker", so, drawing himself 
up to his full height and assuming an air of superiority, he 
started in, — "B-A, ba." His utterance was somewhat impeded 
but pausing long enough to wipe his nose, first with one sleeve 
and then with the other, he resumed "K-E-R-ker, baker", with 
an air of triumph which would do credit to a soldier just re- 
turned from the Spanish war. But laying aside all levity, 
spelling in the log school house days was thoroughly studied, 
and the school exercises were supplemented by evening spell- 
ing schools which w^ere largely attended, and excited much in- 
terest. 

Master Wayback, we observe, is liable to be interrupted at 
any moment. Little Johnny Smith wants to go out: Jedadiah 
Holcomb is getting cold and wants to go to the fire: Elisha 
Gibson comes with his pen to be mended, and Josiah Milburn 
has encountered a snubber in old Daboll, and wants some help. 
Then there is little Alexander Crane, just learning his A, B, 
C's, and the other little fellow who has pushed on away over 
(!) into the "a-b-abs", who must have some attention. 
In the midst of all this, the reading class in Hale's History is 
called out. The lesson treats of the surrender of Cornwallis. 
We notice a peculiar drawl with some of the class, but in the 
main the reading is fairly good. Some have to be corrected 
as to pauses and pronunciation, but the class in Hale's History 
is supposed to include the best talent in the school. 

Master Wayback has no stated time for writing exercises. 
In this matter the scholars may please themselves, and write 
when they feel like it. The steel pen is still some distance in 
the future, and the goose is depended upon to furnish the raw 
material for the pens. The ink used in Master Wayback's 
school is mostly of the home made variety, to wit, a decoction 



MASTER WAYBACK'S SCHOOL. 23 

of soft maple bark. The master patiently shows them how to 
hold their pens, how to sit, and carefully instructs them how 
to make a pen. Occasionally some pupils have quills plucked 
from an eagle which was shot or captured in the neighborhood 
the last summer, and others have quills which came from the 
village store and had been soaked in some kind of oil. They 
were considered quite superior to the common quills plucked 
from the goose at home. 

It must not be inferred from the afternoon spent in Master 
Wayback's school, that it was always sunshine there, that the 
school weather was always balmy, mild and pleasant: for some- 
times lurking clouds predict a storm, and the storm came ac- 
cording to prediction. A few of the big boys who bad helped their 
fathers in the "chopping" and spent much of the time the last 
season among the burning log heaps and blackened stumps, 
whose muscles were hardened by continuous toil, were restive 
under restraint, however mild it might be. So pronounced 
was this feeling with some of them that they could not be per- 
sauded to obey the rules, however reasonable and salutary they 
might be, and, it would seem, were continually on the outlook 
for opportunities to break them. 

Master Wayback's habit of close observation generally en- 
abled him to detect any symptoms or premonitions of what 
was coming. When a storm was impending it had a sort of 
reflex efTect upon his otherwise benign and pleasant counten- 
ance, and after the scholars had become thoroughly acquainted 
with him, they could, after a brief survey of his features in the 
morning, make a reasonably good guess, at least, as to whether 
the school weather was to be fair or squally for the day, for 

"Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace 

The day's disasters on his morning face: 
* Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee 

At all his jokes, for many a joke had he: 
Full well the busy whisper circling round 

Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned" 



24 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

Following close upon some flagrant infraction of the rules 
of his school, when Master Wayback pushed his spectacles up 
over his forehead, gave his vest a downward jerk, and with a 
speed that fairly made his coat-tails snap, started for a whip 
which he usually kept in a corner by the chimney within conven- 
ient reach, where, in fact, he generally had an assorted var- 
iety in stock, the school, wdth the possible exception of some of 
the big boys, took on the most perfect picture of apprehension, 
dismay and dread. The sunshine had gone and the storm had 
come: a storm of wrathful fury which spent itself in the appli- 
cation to some benighted, though quite likely, deserving knight, 
of a shower of well directed and vigorous blows, more than 
probably, upon the most vulnerable and tender part of his cor- 
porosity. 

This exercise was of course attended with more or less con- 
fusion. If the victim were a small boy of naturally mean dis- 
position, mischievous and meddling, and the punishment was 
not protracted too long, and the strokes were not altogether too 
unmerciful, nothing further than a little ripple of excitement 
would ensue. If, however, the whipping was continued beyond 
what was considered by the older boys as reasonable, and the 
boy happened to be a favorite with his fellows, some protest 
on the part of the big boys might be made: and if that did not 
eflfect the object, forcible^ if not indeed armed, intervention 
might be the result: in which case the progress of the school 
was interrupted, if indeed a retrograde movement was not in- 
augurated. If it happened to bs one of the big boys who 
was receiving the castigation the operation was invested with 
more interest, as it required greater effort, the punishment was 
usually more severe, and the chances of interference were ma- 
terially enhanced. 

But Master Wayback usually succeeded in governing his 
school. Sometimes however, in the case of an ugly and re- 
fractory big boy, the trustee would be sent for to enforce dis- 



MASTER WAYBACk'S SCHOOL. 25 

cipllne. A case in point. Trustee having been sent for, the 
master, forgetting the windows, or thinking them secured, 
stood near the door to prevent the escape of the boy. Trustee 
approaches: boy quick as lightning shoves a window, straddles 
the sill, and only waiting long enough to remark, "There's 
more than one way to skin a cat", skips for the woods. Such 
incidents always helped to keep up an interest in the school! 

A teacher who was in the habit of inflicting punishment in 
the truly primitive way, once started to administer a spanking 
to a boy who screamed at the top of his voice, "Don't strike 
there-you'll hurt my bile". It created quite a sensation, but 
there was a suspicion on the part of some that it was only a 
ruse, that he had no boil at all. 

Some of the more cunning ones, when they knew a good whip- 
ping was in store for them, and they had time to prepare foi it, 
used to conceal under their clothing pieces of bark, but they 
were sure always to pretend to be terribly hurt, wincing and 
screaming and crying as though nearly killed. 

Some schools had a bad record, and were known to make it very 
uncomfortable for teachers: in some instances throwing them 
out of the school house by main force. It was a school of that 
character that a prominent Irishman of northern Allegany had 
in mind when, after describing the physical and other charac- 
teristics which should be required in a teacher for it, concluded 
with these words, "He should also be possessed of a nature 
something like a royal Bengal tiger". 

The renowned A. N. Cole once had some experience with 
such a school. In the school were several bad boys who were 
good wrestlers, and prided themselves on athletic sports and 
feats. Cole was a pretty good wrestler himself, or thought he 
was. Indulging in the sport with some of them he was downed 
successively by two or three and soon, as a result, lost control 
of the school, as they found that they could handle him, and so 
concluded to have their own way, which was not at all consis- 



26 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TVMES'. 

tent with Cole's ideas of school propriety. After a consulta- 
tion with the trustees, it was thought best that he should resign 
as the signs were unmistakable that an insurrection was brew- 
ing: and if he had insisted on staying, in all probability he 
would have been thrown out with little ceremony and in per- 
fect disregard of all civility. 

But none of those schools were so bad as not to have some 
good pupils, nor were there any so good as not to have some 
bad ones; and purposely, the bad schools have been given more 
prominence in these sketches. There is no doubt however, 
but that the good teachers and good schools of the pioneer 
days far outnumbered the bad. As illustrative of the great 
progress made by patrons and pupils, it may be stated that a 
little more than a hundred years ago, when Gen. Micah Brook 
conducted a school in a log structure in Bloomfield, Ontario Co. 
he taught the pupils that the earth revolved around the sun 
once in a year, and on its axis every day of twenty-four hours, 
and among his patrons were those who were displeased with 
him on that account, claiming that he was "teaching for truth 
something which was contrary to reason, and which everybody 
knew was not so". He taught a number of young men the 
practice of surveying, who afterward did much and good work 
for the Holland Land Company. 




The low wages of teachers during the log school house period 
were, of course predicted upon the fact that their board was to 
be furnished them free of expense, and during the early years 
in nine cases out often, that they should board a™™^ ' ^ 
fact this was the regular method, with only occasional excep 
tion, of subsisting the teachers in those days. 

A careful estimate would be made of the number of scholais 
which each family on the district would send to school. Then, 
having settled upon the number °f ^^^s the school should 
continue, it was easy to determine how long each of the se^era 
amilies composing the district should board the teacher O 
course there were those in nearly every district who or ob 
vious reasons, would not be expected to board the teacher 
at all Then there were always other places where the teacher 
would be made to feel quite at home and very -Icome at any 
time, and it was a lucky circumstance for the teacher if thos^ 
places were near to the school house, so that in case of storm 
!„d especially bad roads, they could stop there for the t^me 
In many instances such families did much more than their 

share in boarding the teacher. hnrrlshios 

The old system of boarding around involved many hardships 

on the part of the teacher, and it is safe to say, much incon- 



28 VE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

venience on the part of the housewives of a period when, aa 
likely as anyway, the only spare bed in the house of a new set 
tier was improvised from shingle blocks, poles and withes, and 
was always a rude affair to say the most. 

The system involved long walks to reach the remote parts of 
a district, over roads in no vv'ay to be compared with our mod- 
ern highways, and in some instances the fear of marauding 
wild beasts contributed a disagreeable feature to the situation. 
It involved a sojourn of some stated length with families with 
whom it would seem the bare necessities of life were all they 
could possibly provide, and where, in exceptional cases, the 
roof would fail to furnish complete protection from storm, and 
the cold blasts of winter would scatter snow over bed, floor 
and clothing. 

The continual change of apartments and surroundings, of 
beds, of diet, together with exposure to inclement weather, 
made boarding around at its best, a menace to the health of 
the teachers, many of whom dated back to their school teach- 
ing days the incipient stages of disease which greatly impaired 
their pleasure and usefulness in after life. 

On the part of the pioneer mothers, many of whom had 
large families, and no end of household duties to perform, 
which could not contribute largely to the highest type of clean- 
liness, it added materially to their daily task; for somehow 
the cabin, during the teacher's stay, took on an extra show of 
tidiness. More attention was paid to preparing the food and 
arranging the scanty furniture, and an extra touch was given 
the floor. In short, the rude habitation was put in the best pos- 
ible shape consistent with the circumstances, during the time of 
the teacher's sojourn. 

On the part of the children, the time of the teacher's stay was • 
generally much enjoyed. Indeed they looked forward to the 
time with pleasurable anticipations, and their minds were filled 
with visions of good, plump white biscuit, and now and then 



BOARDINCx AROUND. 



29 



perchance, a little honey in place of the common johnny cake 
and brown bread of their every-day life. They dreamed of 
pieces of pie made much nicer and sweeter than common, with 
now and then a piece of sweet cake thrown into the bargin. 

Speaking ot pies. With some of the families, but little, if 
any, sweetening was put into them. In some instances with 
such, when the teacher came, one end of the pie, usually baked 
in a square tin, would be sweetened, or made much sweeter 
than the other, and by some mark on the crust, it was known 
to those in the secret which end it was. That sweetened end was 
for the teacher and care was taken that she should have it. A 
case in point, told to the writer by a surviving teacher of those 
days, is as follows. The pie on this occasion was cut and pro- 
perly passed to the teacher, but in some way, with a perver- 
sity not always accounted for, she turned the pie and took a 
piece from the end not designed for her. The mother had 
stepped into the other room on some errand, when the little 
girl, who was in the secret, alarmed at the outcome of the 
scheme, hastily followed, whispering in a voice just audible at 
the table, "Ma, Ma, the school ma'am has got the sour end of 
the pie". Knowing well this teacher, the writer has always 
strongly surmised that she suspected the scheme, and turned 
the pie to satisfy herself as to the correctness of her suspicion. 

The time spent by the teacher in the family was something 
of an educative season for the children. It afforded opportun- 
ities for a closer acquaintance on the way to and from school. 
The conduct of the teacher was carefully observed, the manner 
and language at the table closely scanned, and, quite likely, 
regarded by the confiding and admiring children as the very 
height of propriety. Of course some of the older and more 
wayward of the boys, and girls even, did not always share 
those feelings of respect for the teacher, but such was not gen- 
erally the case. 



30 VE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOfSE TYMES. 

Notwithstanding the many hardships and inconveniences at- 
tending the sy Stern of boarding around, it was accompanied 
with some pleasant features which went far in compensating 
for the trouble and effort involved in that method of solvingf 
the commissary problem for the teacher. Many pleasant ac- 
quaintances were made and enduring friendships formed, not 
to speak of occasional instances in which tenderer feelings 
than friendships even, were the directresultof boarding around. 
It also afforded the teachers frequent opportunities for conferr- 
ing with parents about the conduct and progress of their child- 
ren in their studies. 

So after all, and in spite of all those drawbacks, the few sur- 
viving teachers of the log school house period, look back upon 
the years they devoted to teaching as really the happiest part 
of their lives, and recall with much pleasure the incidents and 
happenings which occured when they were boarding around. 

Intimately associated with the system of boarding around 
were the epidemics of lice and itch, and so, rather than entitle 
a chapter with such a loathsome heading, this subject will be 
concluded with a notice of them, as neglect to make such men- 
tion would justly invite criticism and convict the writer of not 
being loyal to the "truth of history". To say that lice were 
quite prevalent in the period of which we are treating would 
be a very mild statement of a fact which is susceptible of proof 
by most of the surviving pupils of those times: indeed, many 
would go further and say they were very, very prevalent, in- 
deed were epidemic for most of the time, especially when 
school was in session. 

The means of inter-communication during the terms of 
school afforded ample facilities for their propagation, and 
they were expansionists of a very pronounced type. The most 
particular and cleanly habits of our good old grandmothers 
coiikl not prevent their introduction and spread in the family. 



BOARDING AROUND. ^'-'- 

The author knows whereof he affirms, and thin'ks he has had 
his full share of experience with that wonderful little insect, at 
once the most perfect embodiment of those sterling qualities 
of grit and gumption: of vivacity and perseverance, bound up 
in the like amount of animated matter, that the world has 
ever known: and he takes this occasion to make open avowal 
of the fact. But it was no worse for him than the others, for 
they all had them, or pretty much all of them. 

A reverend gentlemen, whose statement in relation to this 
subject is entitled to respect, relates this incident. Having oc- 
casion to have the teacher make or mend his pen, she dipped 
the pen in the ink and tried it. To remove the little ink left 
on it she wiped it on her hair. He took the pen to his seat. 
Upon examining it he discovered a louse. The cunning little 
thing! That particular louse had been watching out for that 
boy's head, and as he came to get his pen mended, thought of 
that particular way to get there, but probably lost his life m 
the undertaking. 

Reader, if you ever hear any of the log school house boys 
or girls say they never had lice, just take the statement with a 
good big discount: for no matter how high their reputation for 
Truth and veracity may be, it is very safe to say they were 
lousy once at least! The itch was about as common as the lice, 
and in many cases lasted for a long time. Sulphur and molas- 
ses was a regular daily ration in many a family^ It was 
claimed by many to be a specific, a radical cure: but the au- 
thor's faith in its efficacy as a remedy, was considerably shaken 
after taking it for some seven years more or less, with no per- 
ceptible diminution of symptoms! Still, tons and tons of sul- 
phur and molasses were taken in the hope, delusive though 
it was, of effecting a cure. 

The subject will be dismissed with the remark that however 
disgusting, repulsive or loathsome it may be to those of the 



32 VE OLD loCt school house TVMES. 

present generation, to the boys and girls of the log school 
house period, they were veritable living realities, and in spite 
of the affliction, they actually thrived when experiencing epi- 
demics of those lively little creatures, the louse and the itch 
insect. 



As a sort 
this chapter 




of prelude to 
the a u t h or 
wishes to observe that the 
log school house period pro- 
duced better spellers than 
come now trom our high 
schools, colleges, academies 
normal schools and semin- 
aries. In support of this 
statement he offers the fol- 
lowing. A few years ago 
a spelling contest took place in the auditorium of the Silver Lake 
Assembly. Among the contestants were college professors 
and graduates from high schools, seminaries and norma 
schools: but the prize went to a teacher of the log school 
house period, a maiden lady who downed the whole crowd 
Some years since, while the writer was officiating as trustee of 
a villao-e school, he received an application from a recent 
craduate from one of our normal schools. The penmanship 
was fine but before five lines were written a word was mis- 
spelled. 

A few vears ago in a village not one hundred miles from 
Buffalo, which boasts of one of the best of union schools, a 



34 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

half dozen of the old log school house boys asked the principal 
to select his six best spellers, and meet them in a friendly pub- 
lic spelling contest. The invitation was not accepted. Possi- 
ly it may have been thought that there would be but little glory 
in defeating the gray beards, and if perchance they were de- 
feated, it would have been extremely humiliating. 



It was winter, and the Todwaddle, Brier Hill, Squeedunk 
Hollow and Plum Bottom schools were thoroughly stirred up 
over the matter of spelling. Never before had such an inter- 
est been awakened. So intense became their ardor, that not 
an evening was allowed to pass without a rehearsal by the 
blazing light of the back log fires, and Webster's Elementary 
Spelling Book was gone through with from "baker" to "un- 
constitutionality", and farther, quite often. Many good spell- 
ers were developed. The spellers were proud of their achiev- 
ments, and their parents were proud also. The "old bach", 
who lived over cross the road was proud, and so was the old 
maid who taught last summer's school. Indeed the whole of 
the several districts were proud of their spellers. And they 
talked about it. 

It became the chief subject of conversation and the fame of 
the champion spellers of the different school:^, was noised abroad. 
The pride of the schools and the districts wa:> centered in their 
best spellers, and they took to boasting and bragging about 
them. Each of the several schools of course claimed to have 
the best spellers. Finally, as the result of all the talking and 
bragging and boasting, a spelling contest was agreed upon, 
which should settle this much mooted question of superiority 
in that particular and desirable accomplishment. 

Only a certain number of the spellers of each of the different 
schools were to take part in the contest, and it is needless to 
state that those representative spellers were considered good 



YE SPELLING BEE. 



35 



ones at least. It was agreed to introduce some exercises in the 
way of "speaking pieces", as they called it, (later, declama- 
tions: rhetoricals, now), as it would tend to enliven matters and 
give several young men of the interested districts an oppor- 
tunity to display their abilities in that line of accomplishments. 
The Plum Bottom school house being the largest, also the 
most centrally located, it was chosen as the scene of the con- 
test. The time came, the evening was clear, the moon at its 
full,' and the sleighing perfect. That old log school house put 




on its best appearance. A rousing fire of the best seasoned 
hickory sent warmth and cheer to the remotest corners of the 
room, and with the aid of a dozen or more tallow candles, all 
dipped in a clear day, stuck into improvised candle sticks made 
by boring holes of proper size and depth in wedge-shaped 
sticks, and driven in between the logs: and a full half dozen 
more set in iron candle sticks and placed on the desks, brill- 



36 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

iantly illuminated the arena of the coming orthographical con- 
test. 

"Early candle light" was the time set, and a little before 
that time some of the boys and girls from the immediate 
neighborhood began to arrive. A little later came a delega- 
tion from the Brier Hill school, in an old-fashioned, long ox 
sled, filled with straw, in which were packed fifteen or twenty, 
more or less, of the rank and file of the school with Jim 
Oxgad for driver. 

Others were quick to follow, some coming on foot and some 
in cutters, sleight and pungoes, and when the house was nearly 
filled, up drove Joshua Goodenough, with one of those old gun- 
boat fashioned cutters, then the newest thing out: with a gray 
horse with bells on, the harness being one of a set of doubles, 
to which leather strings had been fastened for loops for the 
"fills", as Joshua called the thills. 

By his side, literally smothered in bed blankets and bufifalo 
robe, sat his dear devine Jerusha Peachblossom who was ac- 
counted the best speller in the Squeedunk Hollow school. Oh 
my! what a consternation they created as they strode into the 
house and stood, in all their glory, in the full light of the blaz- 
ing fire and the numerous tallow candles! Joshua was proud 
to be her escort. He didn't come to spell, he only came to 
bring Jerusha and be a spectator. He had unlimited faith in 
her ability as a speller, and some thought he was "kinder pur- 
rin'round her". 

By this time the scene around the school house had become 
interesting in the extreme. There were ox teams hitched to 
trees, horses tied to fences, and all sorts of conveyances of the 
runner kind, including even the rude natural crook hand-sled 
of the small boy, who with a taste for sport, had come pre- 
pared for a ride or two down the neighboring hill. In good 
time the crowd had all arrived and the business of the evening 
was ready to begin. 



37 YE SINGING BEE. 

But to cap the climax of the whole grand affair, Capt. Joseph 
Blossom's "gude wife" sent over one of their brass candlesticks 
and snuft'ers and tray to match, with a sperm candle ready to 
light, for the particular use of the teacher, or whoever might 
be chosen to pronounce the words. 

As the snuffer part of the business was considered quite ex- 
tra and fully up to the requirements of the best society, even 
of villages, it may be well to remark that on ordinary occa- 
sions the candles would be snuffed with a couple of knives, 
or a knife and a stick, or by holdmg the candle to the edge of 
a desk, or bench, and cutting off the charred wick with a knife: 
while sometimes resort would be had to the most simple and 
primitive of all ways, that of snuflfing with the thumb and 
finger. 

In all the ways except with the snuffers the charred wick fell 
to the floor and was trodden under foot. But the snuft'ers were 
made most of on this occasion. It was a real pleasure to him 
who assumed the task of snuffing the candles that evening, to 
parade the snuffers in full view of the gaping and wondering 
crowds from Brier Hill, Squeedunk Hollow and Todwaddle, 
where no such a thing had ever been seen or heard of ! What 
a gracious air of importance he assumed, as he made his fre- 
quent rounds and snuffed the candles! The most consequen- 
tial and dignified of all modern funeral directors never acquit- 
ted himself with more pomp and circumstance. 

Theophilus Stackpole, who taught the school at the center of 
the town, — a tall, cadaverous looking specimen of a man, but 
who was admitted to be the best scholar in all that section, 
and who was supposed to have no preferences or prejudices 
for or against any of the schools, was selected, without dissent, 
to pronounce the words. At first they chose sides, the cap- 
tains being Darius Hodgrass and Ezekiel Woodhouse. 

The first choice was determined by flipping an old Bung- 
town copper cent. Jerusha Peachblossom was the first one 



38 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

chosen. Then came Alexander Popinjay, and then in quick 
succession were chosen Mary Spratts, Nehemiah Radwin, Sally 
Maria Squibson, Ezra Cyrus Woodhouse, Sophronia Gilder- 
sleeve, and others: till all who would take part in spelling were 
ranged round on the outside seats of two sides of the room, 
and the game was opened. 

In this way of conducting the exercises, the spellers were 
seated, and the words were pronounced alternately to the sides 
or companies. When a word was misspelled it was given to 
the other side, and then, if correctly spelled, the captain of that 
side was allowed to choose a speller from the side missing the 
word. If a word was misspelled by several alternating from 
one side, or company, to the other, and was finally correctly 
spelled by the side first missing it, it was said to be "saved". 
This way of spelling made it a sort of game, and it is easy to 
see that, with favoring circumstances, the strife might be pro- 
longed indefinitely. After spelling in this way for some time 
with alternating success and slim prospect of either side being 
vanquished in reasonable time, it was thought best to change 
the order. 

Then came the contest of the evening in which the chosen 
representatives of the several schools took part. They all 
stood, no sides being taken. Beginning with some particular 
one in the long row of spellers, the words were pronounced in 
succession to all, the rule being that when one misspelled a 
word he or she should sit down. The interest of the evening 
always culminated in this contest which was called "spelling 
down". 

As it progressed after a little, and passing hurriedly over the 
shorter and easier words, some one would miss a word and 
sit down. Then soon another, and another, and still another, 
till the ranks of spellers were badl}^ broken. When all but five 
or six had been "spelled down" the interest in the event was 
absorbing, and when only two or three were left, it was in- 
tense. 



YE SPELLING BEE. 



In the case in point, two or three stood for some tmie, when 
one, then another sat down, leaving only one, and that one 
was Joshua's inamorata, his dear Jerusha. Jerusha kept r:ght 
on spelling till the lateness of the hour, and the complete ex- 
haustion of Mr. Stackpole, conspired to brmg an end to the 
contest leaving her still on her feet though tired of standmg. 

After a brief intermission, during which the occult forces of 
an attraction whfch is as universal in its operation as the law 
of gravitation, managed to get in its work m so arranging the 
crowd of young people that every one was seated just about as 
he or she wanted to be, order was restored, and all at once m 
came a young man who had quietly retired and dressed himself 
in the poorest of the cast off clothing of a near neighbor. He 
looked the typical modern tramp at his worst, leaned upon a 
staff was led by a small boy, and, as he hobbled about the 
If; sjace of thelor, recited "The Beggar's Petition", found 
in the old English Reader, which began thus: 
"Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, 
Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door: 
Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span, 

Oh, give relief, and Heaven will bless your store . 

He was followed by a boy from Todwaddle who gave the 
piece so popular in those days, beginnmg with 

"When leagued oppression poured to northern wars, 
Her whiskered pandours and her fierce hussars' . 

Then a Brier Hill youngster "spoke" the well-known and 
still well remembered 

•'On Linden, when the sun was low, 

All bloodless lay the untrodden snow'' 

A young man from "down East", who was visiting in the 
nefghborh;od, was prevailed upon to recite, w.th hne^ffe ^ 
Bryant's "African Chief", the words of which are still famihar 
to many. It began thus: 



40 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES 

"Chain'd in the market place he stood, 

A man of giant frame, 
Amid the gathering multitude 

Which shrank to hear his name". 

And so the time passed till near midnight, when the local 
teacher or one of the trustees proclaimed the school dismissed. 
Then came the scramble of some of the boys to go home with 
some of the girls of the Plum Bottom district who came on 
foot. 

Nehemiah Radwin stepped up as proud as a little corporal 
and asked Rebecca Sanderhaden if he could "see her home", 
and she grabbed his arm instanter. Josephus Orangeblossom 
"went home" with Sally Maria Squibson, Jonathan Ganderfoot 
sided up to Sophronia Gildersleeve, and Lycurgus Hilderbrand 
took Thankful Gilson. 

Olivia Shepherd "mittened" a full half dozen boys, and then 
let Ezra Cyrus Woodhouse, from Brier Hill, go home with her, 
Ezra came on a horse which he hitched out back of the school 
house, but he was so taken up with Olivia, that he forgot all 
about it: then when he came to his senses, he hired one of 
Olivia's brothers to go back after it. 

Of course Joshua and Jerusha were better provided for than 
any of the rest of them. A lot of mischievous youngsters 
however, sought to have some fun with them. So they were 
very helpful in getting the rig up close in front of the door so 
they could get in with little trouble. But the horse was tired 
of standing and started for home at a brisk trot. When, after 
a little, Joshua thought, and so did Jerusha, that it would be 
well enough perhaps to slacken his pace, somewhat, if not in- 
deed down to the degree of a "sparking gait", it was found 
that pulling on the lines made no impression whatever. Indeed 
his speed was increased to an extent that caused genuine alarm 
to the young couple. Noticing some boys away ahead in the 
road, Joshua called loudly to them to catch his horse and stop 



YE SPELLING BEE. 41 

him, which, after some effort, they succeeded in doing. It 
was then discovered that the reins had been buckled into the 
hame rings! A wrestHng contest came off the same evening, 
in which the champion side-hold wrestler of Brier Hill was 
thrown by a Todwaddle boy. 

Of course, figuratively speaking, there were some broken 
noses, for it was just a little humiliating to the spellers of Tod- 
waddle, Brier Hill and Plum Bottom, to have that Squeedunk 
Hollow girl carry off the palm of victory: but it could not be 
helped, the exercises had been conducted "on the square", and 
very properly: and all agreed that they had had a good time. 

Joshua and Jerusha, after the harness had been properly ad- 
justed, struck a slower pace. Old Grey soon got over his rest- 
iveness and sobered down so that Joshua actually drove with 
one hand; but he persisted in taking the wrong road! How- 
ever, the young people were not much put out about it, they 
even joined their voices in softly singing, 

"Oh come, Oh come with me, the moon is beaming, 
Oh come, Oh come with me, the stars are gleaming: 

All around about, with beauty teeming. 
Oh, moonlight hours were made for love". 

All of which delayed their arrival in Squeedunk Hollow, till 
the gray of the early morning. 





Along toward the last years of the 
Log" School House period considerable 
inteiest in vocal music was manifested, 
and singing schools were not infrequent. 
One of a series of conventions or insti- 
tutes was held one fall in Rochester, at 
which instruction in music was given. 
It lasted for ten days or two weeks, 
and was conducted, the writer thinks, 
by Lowell Mason of Boston. It was 
largely attended and south western 
New York was well represented. The following winter was 
distinguished for the number and success of the singing schools 
which were taught, some being held in very remote and com- 
paratively new districts, and in log school houses. 

The ambitious young man who had scraped together enough 
money to enable him to attend the institute, felt that he could 
gather more dollars through the winter by organizing five or 
six singing schools, just enough to make the rounds in a week, 
than he could by 'cutting or hauling logs, chopping wood, or 
threshing grain with a flail. So, visiting the several villages 
or places, hamlets or districts where he decided to make the 
trial, he would leave appointments to te given out in the 



VE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 43 

schools or religious meetings, stating where and when he 
would meet with such as might be interested, for the purpose 
of organizing a singing class. Another round would generally 
suffice to perfect the arrangements which usually/ were for a 
series of twelve schools. 

The pupils were to furnish their own lights, which were of 
course tallow candles, and the amount of tuition was agreed 
upon: not all of them, however, paying the money. The sing- 
ing masters were not confined, by any means, to those who 
attended the institute. There were others. 

The time now referred to was before even the old Prince «& 
Go's, melodeons, so well remembered by all our elderly peo- 
ple, made their appearance. Occasionally one more proficient 
of the teachers who had mastered the mysteries of violin or 
bass viol and thought himself qualified to execute (?) music 
thereon, would bring with him his favorite instrument with 
which to accompany the singing. The tuning fork was invari- 
ably used to get the key or pitch, as they called it, and some 
of them made use of a small portable black board, upon which 
to illustrate the lessons. 

There was a great difference in the singing masters of those 
days. Of course every blessed one of them thought himself 
possessed of a superb voice, and a thorough knowledge of 
music. They were probably not all alike endowed in that par- 
ticular any more than in the art of imparting their knowledge 
to their pupils, which, it must be confessed, was with varymg 
and widely differing degrees of success. 

But the difference in the teachers found a full match in the 
great variety of pupils. Some had good voices, while the 
voices of others were horrible in the extreme. Some came to 
learn to sing, and learned easily: while others were hard to 
teach, though paying the best attention. Others came because 
others came. They wanted to meet the young people, get ac- 
quainted, and have a good time socially, before and after the 



44 THE SINGING SCHOOL. 

session, and at intermission, and go home with the girls: while 
it is barely possible some of the girls came more with the de- 
liberate purpose of "catching a beau" than of learning to sing. 
Still others possibly were there, though their number was small 
of course, who were quite willing to pay the amount of the tuition 
and attend, more out of curiosity than any other motive, and 
were on the watch for any opportunity for a little fun, even 
sometimes at the expense of good order, and the plain viola- 
tion of the acknowledged rules of good deportment. Paren- 
thetically, it may be well to remind the reader, that the charac- 
ters just enumerated were the grandparents of the present gen- 
eration, and possibly, if not indeed quite likely, his or her 
grandmother attended this particular school. 

The writer still retains a vivid recollection of one ot those 
singing masters. In personal appearance he was a genuine 
Abe Lincoln style of a fellow. He stood six feet three in his 
stocking feet, and his name in length fully agreed with his 
statue. It was Oricus Zewingelus Garrett. He had a good 
voice, and probably understood music pretty well, but he was 
uncouth, awkward and not over good looking. By trade he 
was a blacksmith but he had a young man with him who was 
serving his last six months of apprenticeship, so he could easi- 
ly leave home half, or even a whole day at a time. He didn't 
attend the musical convention and thought those institute fel- 
lows were sort of "stuck up", and didn't know any more than 
he did. 

A black board and tuning fork constituted his whole equip- 
ment, but he brought along with him a goodly number of sing- 
ing books called the "Handel and Haydn collection". This 
was the book he used in his schools aud he seemed to be much 
interested in selling them. Another singing master used the 
"Boston Academy". Still others used a book called "Car- 
mina Sacra". 



45 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TYMES. 

The teacher just described must have been the one the artist 
who ilhistrated Will Carleton's "Festival of Melody", had for 
his model. Sure thing! It was really worth going a long 
distance just to sit and watch his movements, listen to his talk 
and time beating, and the singing, which, when the whole 
school joined in the chorus, had a wonderfully elevating effect, 
perceptibly lifting the beams and rafters, and so bulging out 
the old logs in the walls as to start the "chinking" and make 
the windows and door fairly squeak in sympathy. Some poet 
has said, and been considered smart because he did say it, that 

"Music hath charms to quell a savage, 

Rend an oak, or split a cabbage". 

and the saying has been verified lots of times in the old log 
school house singing school. 

It may be well to quote a few lines, they seem so eminently 
fitting. 

"The blackboard behind him frowned fierce on our sight. 
Its old forehead creased with five wrinkles of white. 

On which he paraded his armies of notes, 
Sending them on a raid through our eyes to our throats. 
How (in his particular specialty) grand. 

He looked as he tiptoed with baton in hand, 
And up, down, and up, in appropriate time, 

Compelled us that slippery ladder to climb. 
As he flourished his weapon and marched to and fro, 

With his "Do— re— mi— fa— sol— la— si— do". 

And certainly Will Carleton must have attended that selfsame 
school, and had it in mind when he penned 

Nathaniel P. Jenkins! how sadly you tried. 

With your eyes a third closed, and your mouth opened wide. 
To sport an acceptable voice like the rest, 

And cultivate powers you never possessed", 
or 
Little Clarissa Smith! how you thrilled us all 

When you made that young, soul-sweetened voice rise and fall! 
"The Whippoorwills" voice is sweet-spoken and true. 

But not w'th a h'^art and a spirit like you". 



46 THE SINGING SCHOOL. 

or 
"Mrs. Caroline Dean, how you revelled in song! 

There was no singing school to which you didn't belong. 
What a method was your's of appearing prepared 

To make any tune in the note book look scared! 
Your voice v/as voluminous rather than rich. 

And not predistinguishedfor accent or pitch". 

To see Mr. Garrett as he announced the piece and the page 
in the singing book, strike the desk with his tuning fork, 
quickiy hold it to his ear to catch the sound, repeat the notes 
"Do-mi— sol~do", in g'etting the correct key, beating time to 
words "Down, left, right, up, down, left, right, up" and giving 
the command "Sing", was richly worth all it cost to get there. 

And then to hear them sing! There was "Old Hundred" 
(and is now) and "Coronation", "Boylston", "Balerma", 
"Uxbridge", and others: really glorious old tunes which will 
live when all the hifalutin, folderol stuff of these degenerate 
days is forg'otten. Sure thing! If you don't believe it, just 
ask any old white head like me! 

When about half of the evening was gone a recess, or inter- 
mission, of fifteen or twenty minutes would be had. This was 
a pretty good idea. It gave the pupils a chance to change 
their positions, visit a little, stir about, and, if so minded, take 
a ride or two down a near by hill which aif orded excellent facil- 
ities for coasting. 

It is greatly to be regretted that a proper regard for the 
"truth of history" makes it imperative to indite the tew lines 
which immediately follow, for it is a painful duty. Funerals, 
logging-bees, and raisings were not only occasions when whis- 
key was used, and candor prompts the statement that Mr. 
Garrett had unfortunately acquired the habit of iinbibing ardent 
spirits to an extent which some might call intemperate. Some, 
times he would come with a bottle artfully concealed among 
his belongings. Then he would take a drink before he 



YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TVMES. 47 

opened the school, just enough to slightly exhilarate him, "tune 
him up" as it were, and put him in good shape for the arduous 
work of the evening. If by chance he succeeded in get- 
ting another nip before recess it only stimulated him to more 
heroic efforts. Then a couple of drinks during recess would 
so fix him that by the time the session was resumed, he could 
not wield his tongue to his own satisfaction or the satisfaction 
of his pupils. 

On such occasions his conduct contributed largely to the 
merriment of the evening. When the victim of such spiritual 
influence, he was always clever, never cross or ugly, and his 
cleverness bordered closely on silliness. In such an emergency 
some advanced pupil would get hold of the bottle, give him 
another good swig, and then throw it away or pour out what 
was left. This would so quiet him that, under the direction of 
this proficient pupil, the exercises would be resumed and car- 
ried on to the conclusion, at which time, or shortly after, Mr. 
Garrett would be sulificiently sobered off to make his way 
home safely. 

The singing school will be abruptly dismissed, with the satis- 
fying and consoling suggestion, that all our older readers, with 
the help of only an average imagination, will be abundantly 
able to supply all the incidents and happenings which are sup- 
posed to have attended, all the sweet words said or thought, 
and "all the appurtenances thereunto belonging or in anywise 
appertaining" to the home going of all the different members; 
with the added surmise, however, that possibly, indeed pro- 
bably, our younger people, if it were left to them, could do 
quite as well in supplying the omission. 



...PIONEER SKETCHES... 

Our hardy pioneers, the men who, nursed 

Amid the blooming fields of cultured lands. 
Forsook the scenes of infancy, and first. 

With hearts of lofty daring and strong hands, 
Pierced old primeval groves, by hunter bands 

And beasts of carnage tenanted alone. 
And lit their camp fires on the lowly strands 

Of lakes and seas, to geographer unknown, 
Deserve the bard's high lay — the sculptor's proudest stone. 

W. H. C. Hosmer. 










"We had a well, a deep old well, 

When the spring was never dry, 
And the cool drops down from the mossy stones, 

Were falling constantly: 
And there never was water half so sweet. 

As the draught which filled my cup. 
Drawn up to the curb by the rude old sweep. 

That my father's hand set up: 
And that deep old well; O! that deep old well, 

I remember now the splashing sound 
Of the bucket as it fell". 

Alice Gary. 




Establishing and definitely marking the lines of the several 
great tracts like the Holland Land Company's Purchase, the 
Phelps & Gorham tract, the Church tract and others, was the 
■ first work of the surveyor in the new country. One of the most 
important, as well as notable, of such lines, was that which 
marked the eastern boundary of the Holland Purchase known 
to people over a large extent of country as the "transit line", 
and to the surveyor as the "transit meridian". It was run in 
1798 by Joseph and Benjamin Ellicott, assisted by a company 



52 YE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE TVMES. 

of twenty-five men, two or three of whom were surveyors, 
most of them very handy with axes. 

■ The instrument used for defining the line was a cumbrous 
afl^air, made for that particular purpose, by Benjamin Ellicott 
and David Rittenhouse, the famous mathematical instrument 
maker of Philadelphia: and, with the exception of only a little 
other work done with it for the company, it is doubtful if it 
Vv^as ever more used.- The parts of the instrument still left 
were, with thoughtful propriety, placed in the rooms of the 
Bufifalo Historical Society, some years since, by the late David 
E. E. Mix, in whose keeping they had been for many years. 
As near as the writer can remember, the circle must have been 
at least twenty inches in diameter. 

The running of the transit meridian and the township lines 
of the Holland Purchase was probably the largest undertaking 
of the kind ever undertaken in this, country by any individual 
or company. To give some idea of its magnitude it may 
be said that Thomas Morris, son of the great financier of the 
Revolution, had the contract for furnishing "one hundred 
barrels of pork, fifteen barrels of beef, and two hundred and 
seventy barrels of flour", for the surveyors and their assistants 
the first season of work (1798), and Mr. Elliott's enumeration 
of articles to be provided for the campaign covered a great 
variety" from pack horses to horseshoes, nails and gimlets, 
from tents to towels, from barley and rice to chocolate, coffee 
and tea: and from camp kettles to teacups", saying nothing of 
"medicine or wine, spirits and loaf sugar for headquarters", 
and the estimated cost was $7213.13: while the wages for the 
surveyors and their help for six months were laid at $19830.00. 

The transit meridians (there were more than one) and town 
lines once established, the next work of the company 
was the sub-division of the several townships into sections 
and lots, to facilitate the location and definition of purchases 
made by the settlers, and this gave employment to 



THE PIONEKR SURVEYOR. 53 

many men. Only one surveyor would be assigned to any par- 
ticular township, and his party usually consisted of two chain 
bearers, one axeman, and a man with the pack horse, whose 
business it was to look after the commissary supplies, pitch the 
tent and do the cooking. Another pack horse and man would 
be employed in making trips to and from headquarters, loaded 
with provisions, and carrying letters and doing errands. 

While in the woods engaged in their work, "guns, cards and 
liquor were prohibited," and they went to work as early as the 
season would permit, and remained till driven in by the storms 
of winter. The surveyors were required to make a careful 
record of the topography of the country, noting on all the lines 
the character of soil, kinds of timber and herbage, streams, mill 
sites and such other features as would enable the company to 
properly estimate the value, help to locate roads, and gener- 
ally facilitate the progress of settlement. 

About six miles per day was the usual progress of the sub- 
division surveyor. No ten hour system was in vogue, but 
when the shades of evening settled over the grand old woods, 
their camp was made, of course near to some spring or brook- 
let, and after partaking of a frugal supper prepared by the pack 
horse man, refreshing sleep on beds made by spreading their 
blankets on a collection of boughs and twigs, restored their 
energies and fitted them for the labor of the coming day. 



These surveyors were the first to explore the wilderness that 
covered the country, except upon the lines of the Indian trails 
and along the routes travelled by French and English soldiers, 
and from the nature of their work, surveying parties came as 
near as one hundred and twenty rods to any point which might 
be designated, in the entire country. A pamphlet giving 
"several methods by which Meridianal lines may be found", 
was printed and distributed among the surveyors. For running 



54 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

those lines, the parties consisted of two chain bearers, two 
flag' men, two axe men, and two pack horsemen: and to ' en- 
courage the several surveyors that will be employed" "the 
com.pany agreed to pay them the munificent sum of $3.00 per 
day from the time of their entering' the service until the date 
of their discharg:e". The pay of the men was "$15.00 per 
calendar month." 

Minute directions were g'iven as to marking the township 
lines, and setting the town corner stakes, "for which a spade 
must be used". The stakes were to be "slipped" on four 
sides with a marking iron, carving the number of the range 
and township opposite such side, also "requiring the bearing, 
distance, size and kind of the trees standing as witnesses to 
the township corners to be noted, designating the notches, 
blazes and letters to be marked on each witness tree." 

The township and range lines were required to be marked 
by trees blazed on three sides, one facing, the others with, 
the line. All sight trees were to be "marked with two notches 
and a blaze above them, and to be cut on the part of the tree 
where the line strikes.*' The chain was to be measured every 
night. 

The following extract from a letter from Mr. Thompson, 
who was a sort of superintendent of surveyors, to Mr. Atwater, 
who was engaged in running township lines, will give an 
impressive idea of some of the conditions prevailing one 
hundred years ago. It was in answer to a call for candles. 
"There are no candles here of any consequence. You must 
endeavor to make out with the piece I have sent. You can 
make shift with rhines of pork". The quotation is literal. 

Immediately succeeding the work of the Company's sur- 
veyors, began the sale of lands, and during the first forty years 
of the last century, the services of the surveyor were in fre- 
quent demand all over the new country. Lands were all the 
time being "taken up", and though the contracts or "articles", 



THE PIONEER SURVEYOR. 55 

as they were called, and deeds, contained carefully drawn des- 
criptions of the lands involved, made out at the land office by 
experts at the business, and plainly sketched in the margin, 
the actual measuring of the distances and running of the lines 
and marking the same, was generally left to some surveyor of 
the neighborhood whom the purchaser might employ to do the 
work. The demand for such services was quite frequent, and 
so it soon came about that the surveyor, with his coarse iron 
wire chain and pins, suspended from a strap thrown over his 
shoulder; with plain open sighted, though frequently Vernier 
compass, resting on one arm, the other hand grasping his 
Jacob-staff, was a very familiar figure in all the settlements. 

Sometimes the surveyor was a justice of the peace: again he 
was the doctor, who supplemented his medical practice with an 
occasional day in the woods, setting out lines and establishing 
corners, or laying out roads, as it helped out in matters of sub- 
sistence and finance. 

And yet again the surveyor was the minister who may have 
been educated at some eastern academy, or college even, who 
failed to derive sufficient revenue from expounding the Scrip- 
tures, to defray his living expenses which were constantly in- 
creasing, to keep pace with his growing family. In such case his 
theoretical knowledge of the art was utilized by securing an 
outfit and helping others, as well as himself, in parting ofif the 
lands of the early settlers. But no matter: whoever or what- 
ever they may have been, in some respects, comparing their 
work and the obstacles they had to contend with, with the 
work of the surveyor of our times, they really had a "pic-nic". 
The corner stakes were still standing, as well as the corner 
trees, with the marks still plainly visible, while the marks on 
the line trees were all fresh, and, in many cases, the vistas cut 
through the underbrush by the surveyors' axemen, were easily 
traced. This was a great help, and very much facilitated the 
process of laying out the new farms. And then there were 



5(3 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

roads to be laid out and altered and discontinued, which ad- 
ded largely to the business of the pioneer surveyor. 

It is not to be wondered at that some who aspired to do the 
work of the surveyor made rather a bungling job of it. It 
would be more a matter of surprise were there no such cases. 
It is a matter of tradition that one of the early surveyors in 
the northern part of Allegany, was called "the wooden com- 
pass surveyor" from his having improvised his own compass 
from materials, with the exception of the needle, close at hand, 
and mostly wood at that! 

The late vSaml. A. Early informed the writer that in the 
early days, some surveyor, not a hundred miles from present 
Wellsville, used a compass, the graduations of which were 
made on sole leather! 

Though there were many faulty descriptions like this for in- 
stance, quoting from the record, "Beginning at a pine stump 
within a quarter or half mile of the Red Tavern", in the main 
tbey were perhaps as well done as could be expected under 
the circumstances: and as to the laying out of the original pur- 
chases, the wonder is, that there has been so little controversy 
over the lines they set out. So the conclusion is very safe at 
least, that the work of the pioneer surveyor as a rule, was well 
and faithfully done. Much honor indeed should be accorded 
to the memory of those hardy men of the Jacob staff and open 
sight. 



The accompaning illustration is introduced as a matter of 
personal inteiest to many people in western Allegany and 
eastern Cattaraugus Counties, at the same time of general in- 
terest, it is hoped, to all who may read this chapter. The 
parties posing for the picture, beginning at the left, are Mr. F. 
E. Hammond, a competent and veteran surveyor, his son, 
Cleo, and Mr. Byron Lockwood, all of North Cuba, N. Y., re- 




presenting, as well as may be, with modern clothing, the 
surveyor, head chain bearer and axeman of a party of pioneer 
surveyors. The compass, Jacob staff and chain are just about 
an even hundred years old. The compass bears the name of H. 
Hunt as maker, Auburn, and was first used by Ephraim Ham- 
mond (who probably got it from the shop) who was born in 1788, 
and came to Fleming, Cayuga Co., N. Y. with his father's fam- 
ily, from Saratoga Co. in 1806. Mr. Hammond lived in Fleming 
till his death in 1836. He was supervisor of the town of Au- 
relius when it included Fleming and Auburn, and in 1829 and 
1830 represented Cayuga Co. in the legislature. He was Jus- 
tice of the Peace for many years. The outfit came into pos' 
session of his nephew, H. Nelson Hammond in 1H'A6. He was 



58 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



born in Sempronius, Cayuga Co., N. Y. in 1812, and came 
with his people to Rushford, Allegany Co., when four years 
old, and, with the exception of from 1845 to 1855, when he 
lived in Belfast, ever lived in Rushford, where he died in 1864. 

He practiced surveying over quite a large extent of country, 
was town superintendent of common schools: taught 26 winter 
terms of school in succession, and enough more to make full 
30. He also conducted writing schools. His son, F. Eugene 
Hammond, succeeded to the possession of the instruments in 
1864. He also taught many terms of school, and practiced 
surveying in Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties. He has 
been supervisor of the town of Cuba several terms. 

And now his son, Cleo, is taking up surveying, making four 
generations in succession, of Hammond surveyors. He has 
also taught school. This makes a record which adds to the in- 
terest in the picture. 




mh%. 










TUis Shows a corne,. in one o. tUe -™-f '^^J^^f^'; ";:; 
torical Society, with table upon wh.ch are .roup 
surveying instruments which are quUe h.stor.c 

At the extreme left is seen » ,^,».'™-";;: ^ ' ^Chi^f of 
vertical Circe, used by ^^^^^^ ^^" ^e telescope 
ralt:t^Ltar.'^~- mentioned at the be.inmn. 

"rthX:. seen the — ^^^^-r^JyCiatS 
.hieh he did -J™* rt'"field WU;. drafting instru- 

:::-,rdiu:-i::^tonee^.™^^^^^^^^ 

We are indebted to the courtesy °\^''J/^^;J^^^^ i„ ,ecur- 



TWfTIER 




"They recked not, though the beast of prey 

By night was on his bloody walk. 
And prowled the red man forth to slay 

Armed with his murderous tomahawk." 
Hosmer. 

The first settlers in any section of our covintry east of the prai- 
rie states, found little less than one vast empire of forest, which 
perhaps afforded a greater variety of timber than any other 
area of the same extent in the world. Here and there were 
found the deeply trodden trails of the red men which led from 
one Indian village to another, and formed the arteries of com- 
munication between the different tribes and nations of our 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



61 



immediate predecessors. Here and there also, were found 
windfalls and occasional open flats along some of the prmcipal 
streams, and near some of the lakes; but the grand old woods 
were guiltless of axe marks, save perhaps those left by govern- 
ment or land company surveyors in establishing state and 
property lines. Those were the only visible evidences to the 
pioneer, that the foot of the white man had ever pressed the 
soil of the new country. 

It was indeed a land of lofty summits, and lovely and re- 
poseful valleys and lowlands; of silvery lakes, gushing sprmgs, 
winding streams, beautiful cascades and foaming cataracts. 
This great wilderness was thickly peopled with deer, bears, 
wolves, panthers, beavers and other animals, and the lakes and 
streams were fairly alive with fish of many kinds. 

The first settler had either made a personal reconnoissance 
of the new country, or gathered the information at the land 

office, or of the sur- 
veyors, which enabled 
him to plunge, with 
confidence, into the 
big woods with per- 
haps only an ox team 
hitched to a dray, upon 
which was secured a 
few articles indispens- 
able to the rudest life 
in the wilderness. 
As the place where he had determined to "plant his des- 
tiny" was neared, he had to cut his way as he went, passing 
around the huge trunk of some prostrate monarch of the woods, 
or following for a distance the clear, gravelly bed of a creek, 
any way to get there, and all the time on the lookout for an 
improved route. If the first settler was short of help, smgle 




62 



FRONTIER CONDITIONS. 



handed as it were, the initial cabin would be made of poles in- 
stead of logs, for the very good reason that he could cut, haul 
and place them without assistance. While this new settler is 
making his beginning, others, and some quite likely not far 
from him, are engaged in the same arduous undertaking and 
soon the sound of the axe can be heard from one settler's 
clearing to that of another. 

A community of interest is quickly aroused, and when a 
new comer is ready to put up his cabin, the neighbors, for 
miles in all directions, turn out and help him. The material 
was always close at hand. The site for the first cabin was 
generally chosen near to some spring. Only the straightest 
trees were used, and they were as near as possible of uniform 
size. An ox team was required to haul the logs in place. Two 
of the most expert axemen of the company would each take his 
corner to cut the saddles and notches, to lock the logs to- 
gether, and the work would begin. It required no further 

pr e p ar a tion, 
than settling 
the size by care 
'fully measur- 
ing the length 
of the bottom 
r logs. Then in 
the course of 
an afternoon 

the four walls of the cabin would be complete. 

They were usually carried to a story and a half, or about 
twelve feet in height. With many of these structures, when 
the walls were up about eight feet, or to the chamber floor, 
extra long logs at the ends and one or two between them, 
would be introduced extending some six feet or more on the 
"front side" to serve as supports for the roof which, on that 




PIONEER SI^ETCHES. 63 

Side Would cover a stoop which was a very convenient feature 
of the house. Openings for the doors and windows were 
sawed out, as also tor the fire place. The chimmey stack 
Was built entirely outside the structure, in some instances, as 
in the cut. 

Usually the entire lower part would be in one room while the 
Upper room, which was reached by a ladder, or long pins stuck 
in holes bored for the purpose to effect the same object, was 
Used for a sleeping room. A bed, under which could be run 
the regulation trundle bed of the period, was most always 
found in the room below. The fire place was of the most ample 
dimensions, and in some cases was only a thick wall of stone 
laid up with mud mortar with no jams. If so constructed, a 
lug pole would be suspended from the chamber floor, from 
which would be hung a chain with several loose hooks, upon 
which to hang pots and kettles. The upper parts of such 
chimneys were generally built of sticks, plastered over with 
mud, and carried to a height sufficient to insure good draft. 
The interstices between the logs were "chinked up" with 
triangular split sticks, fastened with pegs or nails, and plas- 
tered with mud. 

In putting in their first crops the pioneers had of course and 
of necessity, to resort to the most primitive methods. The 
virgin soil was composed of wonderful elements, and the 
blackened earth possessed the virtues of the vegetable mould 
of ages, but the roots and stumps and logs made the first 
seeding a task hard and slow to acomplish. Corn was planted 
in among the roots by striking the bit of an axe in the ground, 
dropping in the seed and pressing the earth about it with the 
foot, and wheat and oats and rye were sometimes hoed in, 
among' the logs, so anxious were they to get their first crops. 

In all the earlier years, the baking was done in the iron 
bake kettle, which was made of the proper size for a good 



64 



FRONTIER CONDITIONS. 



>:» 



sized loaf of bread, 
'BaKe-Keitlestoo.th^ always l\ad. the cover so construc- 

Ib bake bi^ loaves of breadi: ted as to make it im- 

Th^setihemonlive coals of fire, possible for any coals 

or ashes to come in 
contact with the bread. 



With coals upon iKe Keadl!* 

0> 




The bake kettle would 
be set in a bed of live 
coals and ashes, and 
completely cov e r e d 
with the same, and 
tradition says that a 
loaf of Indian corn bread baked in that way, was a full match 
for anything which modern methods have introduced. 

The tin bake oven called by some the Dutch oven was the 
next in chronological succession of contrivances for baking. It 
was placed on the hearth before the blazing fire, with the bread 
or biscuits of Johnny cake in the dripping pan on the slats: 
and performed the office of baking to the great delight of our 
grand mothers. 

The wood for those pion- 
eer fire places was cut from 
four to six feet long. To 
build the regulation pioneer 
settler's fire, a back log, 
sometimes two feet in diame- 
ter, was hauled in on rollers, 
and rolled up against the 
chimney back. On top of this 
would be laid a back stick, while in front would be placed a 
forestick. Then, with some dry stub-wood, or fat pine 
split fine, chinked in and around and under, only one thing 
more was needed to start a fire. 




PIONEER SKETCHES. 



65 




' Lucifer matches had not made then- appearance, and many 
of the settlers used the tinder box for startmg a hre. The 

box contained tmder 
or punk. With the 
flint and steel a spark 
would be struck, which 
falling on the punk, 
fire was at once started. 
The tinder box shown 
was provided with 
a steel wheel which, 
set in motion by pull- 
ing a string, struck 
the flint which was 
fastened on the cover, 

and sparks were generated. The cut is copied '^-'h^f™*; 
sonian Reports. It was a kind much used by pioneers, trap 

'^^Bura^ut or;ou;se of the old flint lock variety, was found 
in every house. And so, with just a little powder and tow, or 
purk and wood, and sometimes the use of the bellows, a fire 

was easily 
started. And 
such a fire! 
Why, with all 
the improve- 

TTyel To'thing has been produced which .uite e.uals the 
old fashioned back log fire of our e--dfather s days! t was 
bright, cheerful, warm and healthful, the vent.lat.on was per 

feet and the air good. 

Even now, in the most up to date, modern residences of our 
millionaires, it is sought to imitate with gas logs and expen- 




imlllinwmmmiiKi^ 



66 



FRONTIER CONDITIONS. 



sive fittings, those grand old fires of the pioneer period. But 
at best, however costly they may be, they are still but base 
imitations. Of an evening the fire place was supplemented by 
tallow candles, and pitch pine knots. Oiled paper and bleached 
cotton cloth, if obtaina 



stituted for glass. They 
kept out much cold, but 
ties were not of the first 
Once in a house light 
dea; a woman and child 
husband was at work 
e V e n i ng meal was in 
A noise at one of the 
the woman's attention, 
by the bright 
nose and paws 
Quickly seizing 
en poker she 
using, and 





ble, were sometimes sub- 
admitted some light, and 
their transparent quali- 
order. 

ed in that way, in Canea- 
were left alone. The 
some distance away. The 
course of preparation, 
window openings attract- 
Looking around she saw 
fire light the 
of a bear, 
the long wood- 
had just been 
which, fortun- 
ablaze, she 



ately, was still 
thrust it into the bear's face. Bruin at once made good his 
retreat. She was very glad however when her husband soon 
after returned. 

When lights were needed in doing chores or going on er- 
rands in the night, torches were first used, but the tin lantern 
soon appeared, and the first settlers were proud of them, as 
people of these days are, of the best "Dietz" or "Ham" lantern 
now on the market! 




mfOGGijvo Bee. 



Logging bees were of quite fre- 
quent occurence with the early- 
settlers. Chopping and logging 
largely engaged their attention. 
The axe, the yoke of oxen and 
handspikes were the agencies 
which, in the hands of the hardy 
pioneers, transformed the forests 
"into fields and cities". The log- 
ging bee made a handy way of 
"changing works" in the first 
stages of the settlement, for log- 
ging was something which a man 
could do but little at alone. As 
the clearings widened and the set- 
tlers prospered, help became more 
abundant and they got along with- 
out so many bees. So their ener- 
gies in that direction were brought 
in play only in case where some 
one had fallen behind on account 
of accident, sickness or other sufficient causes, and where delay 
in logging and burning would occasion considerable loss: for 



68 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

getting a "good burn" greatly facilitated the preparation of 
the ground for seeding. 

James Pike, over on Panther Run, had been sick the previous 
winter, and his recovery was slow. He had been helped out 
by a brother-in-law from somewhere "down east" who had 
made a nice chopping of about six acres, which was done 
in tine style while Jim was convalescing. The brush was pro- 
perly piled, a good burn secured, and the whole job, so far, 
was done with special reference to handy logging. The "good 
burn" left the logs and ground and stumps all of one color. 
Just then, as Jim was getting so he could do something and 
logging was the next thing in order, as he was hauling a stick 
up to the house, it caught in some way on a stump: the oxen 
started quickly, and it flew around and laid him prostrate with 
a badly fractured leg, besides other injuries of a less serious 
nature. 

A messenger was sent for a doctor, and the news of Jim's 
bad luck was soon known even to the adjoining settlements, 
and much sympathy was felt for the unfortunate man. Learn- 
ing of the condition of his work, aware that his circumstances 
were not the best, with the prospect of long continued inability 
to work, and a big doctor's bill to be paid, the settlers, with 
one accord, agreed that Jim should have a boost. A day was 
set and the word went out to all the people that the logging 
bee would come off at a time appointed, in Jim's chopping, 
and they must turn out and help him. 

The day came: it was a good one, and with it came a sturdy 
lot of men with a number of good ox teams, stout logging 
chains, and axes. The teams were all good: but some excel- 
led in the particular work of logging, being especially broken 
to the business. Among the brag yokes was one from the 
White Settlement on Butternut Flats, known far and wide as 
handy, quick and strong. They were Jed. Strong's, and Jed 
was on hand himself, ox gad in hand, to handle them. 



THE LOGGING BEE. 69 

The Whitman Hill fellows were out in full force and with 
them came Jonah Johnson with his crack team. By many, 
Johnson's team was considered the quickest in the whole 
country, and for strength, a good match for Strong's. It was 
claimed for Johnson's team that they had been known on 
several occasions, to jerk a log right out from the bark! Of 
course no one was expected to believe this statement, except 
upon the condition that the marvellous feat was performed only 
in the peeling season. But as no one questioned their strength 
or dexterity, so no one cared much whether it was a fact or not. 

It was arranged that the business in hand should begin right 
away after dinner, which the good women of the more im- 
mediate neighborhood had brought along with them, and, in 
picnic style, had spread on an improvised table of rough 
boards. Hardly, perhaps up to some of our modern picnics, 
but the meal was appetizing, hearty and substantial: just the 
thing to give them strength for the arduous work of the after- 
noon. 

Arrived at the chopping, allotments were made to the several 
gangs; each team having its particular driver, the team and 
driver understanding each other perfectly. To some would be 
assigned the business of wrapping the chains about the logs, 
while others were expected to unhook the chains: and others 
still, armed with hand spikes, w^ere to roll the logs into place 
on the heaps. It is quite safe to say it was just a little noisy. 
It was "Haw Buck", "Gee Bright", "Whoa Stub", and "Git 
up Broad", besides the commands of the bosses of the' several 
gangs, given out with stentorian voices: and the surrounding 
walls of the green woods gave back the echoes in grand re- 
frain. It was "confusion worse confounded," but the work 
went on, and well and swiftly it was done. In some way, but 
purposely of course, it was so arranged that the two rival 
teams had as near as possible the same amount of work laid 
out for them. Without a spoken word to that effect, it seemed 



70 PIONEEK SKETCHES. 

as though the g'angs, drivers, teams, all sniffed it in the air 
some way, that there was to be a strife. And there was. 

It fell to the Johnson team to tackle a little the biggest log- 
It was indeed a heavy one, and they went through the yoke 
instanter: but another and a stronger one was in reserve. 
When that was adjusted, Jonah gave the word with an 
emphasis which those oxen understood perfectly, and accord- 
ingly they got right down to business, and the huge log 
moved. Not only that, but it didn't stop till it was in place 
for the heap, and all amid the shouts of the men, many of 
whom had wagered they could not draw it. 

Jed. vStrong's team broke two stout log chains, one by 
snubbing the log against a stump, the other by starting too 
quickly. Other teams did well, but the rivalry was confined to 
the teams of Strong and Johnson, and they finished their work 
so evenly that all were willing to call it a tie. It certainly was 
a draw! Still, each wanted, in some way, to have it out. So, 
selecting the clearest place they could find, they turned the 
rival teams tails to, and dropping the hooks together, they 
were started with the word "Go". Strong was not well pleased 
with this way of settling it, for he was afraid Johnson's team 
was the quicker, which was soon proven, and they won out. 
Seriously, it is no fair test for strength, for the quick team has 
a great advantage. 

The whiskey jug was passed around at stated intervals that 
afternoon, and also at some other times, and they all felt pretty 
well: they were ambitious to distinguish themselves with feats 
of strength. Neither could they brook any delay, and logs 
would some times be caught and rolled on top the heap before 
the chains could be unhooked. Lots of other antics were in- 
dulged in, but generally the best of good friendly feelings 
prevailed. 

Joe Gibson had the misfortune to get his fingers badly 
pinched, the oxen starting before he could get them away; and 



THE LOGGING BEE. 



71 



Tom Luther sprained his ankle, but not badly. These were 
all the casualties. The help was so plenty the picking up was 
all done, and it being unusually dry, it was determined to fire 
the heaps at once. 

It was six o'clock, and returning to the cabin, the good 
women had the boards spread with an ample and substantial 
supper. They took their time for it, and when the meal was 
finished, the heaps had become suiTficiently burned for the first 
"chinking up." All hands resolved to stay and do that also, 
and as the moon was at its full, they voted to do it thoroughly. 
When they finally started for their several homes, the heaps 
were so far burned as to give but little more trouble. Jim 
Pike could hardly express his thanks, and they all felt happy 
over giving him a good boost. 




T^iZ< t^'-A^-r;— 




l) I In the order of improvement, the framed barn 

was more than likely to precede the framed house. It was in- 
deed the rule, and there were few exceptions. Col. Russell's 
clearings had grown to cover more than half of his farm, and 
his crops of hay, wheat and oats, had so largely outgrown the 
little old log barn which he first put up, that he was compelled 
to stack, which, as now, was always attended with much waste. 
So, closely considering the matter, he concluded that it was in 
the line of economy to put up a fiame barn. 

It seldom occurred to our pioneers to build their barns on 
other than level ground, and such was the site which Col. 
Russell selected for his new barn. It was just near enough to 
the road which had been recently laid out on the lot line, which 



PIONEER SKETCHES. "^^ 

was the south Hne of his farm, to make room for a good sized 
vard. Having determined to build, the colonel thought he 
would put up a larger one than was then common, and hxed 
the size on the ground at 32x44 feet with 16 feet posts I his 
was considered large for the time. In this instance, the s.lls 
and plates were gotten out 16x16 inches, the beams 12x14 and 
the posts and ridge pole of cherry. This would be considered 
a great waste now. They were all scored, and hewed with 
broad axes. With wise forethought Col. Russell had selected 
his timber, felled, hewed and drawn it out, and piled it up ma 
place convenient for building operations the next spring, i his 
rendered the weight very much less and made the raising con- 
siderably easier. 

It was very hard, at the best, lifting those huge timbers into 
Place for it was all to be done by main strength. But to the 
prais; of our pioneers be it said, their willingness to turn out 
to raisings was proverbial. Community of interest made it a 
sacred dutv to turn out on such occasions, and they would come 
from long distances: some, when the relation, or acquaintance 
was intimate, would come with their ox teams and sleds, and 
bring their wives, that they might enjoy the sight ai.d assist 
in preparing refreshments. Ox sleds, did you say? ^^ hy bless 
vou yes. That mode of travel or conveyance, even though 
the ground was bare, was the safest and easiest way of ndmg 
over the roots, poles and logs, and through the long, deep mud 

holes. ^ 

Whenever it could be, the raising was planned to come ott 
at or near the full of the moon. Col. Russell's ^^^^^-^J^ 
well attended. It had gotten winded around that it was to be 
a "whopper", as they used to say, something more than oi- 
dinary, and they knew the timbers would be heavy, and so the> 
turned out to a man to help him up with the frame. 

Bill Strobell, down on the Beaver Dam Flats, had great tame 
as a barn builder. His frames always came together good, and 



74 THE RAISING. 

he had a way of managino^ the men so as to keep them all 
good natured and willing, and so they went up well. Col. 
Russell secured him to build his barn, indeed he had him en- 
gaged a year in advance. Bill came on about the middle of 
April. The colonel had two good hired men, and two of his 
boys had so far grown up as, if occasion demanded, to do the 
work of an average man. When the framing was completed, 
which Bill did alone, all the help on the place turned in and 
leveled the sills and got the bents together, so there should be 
no delay nor bother when the men came. Some were lax in 
this matter, expecting the invited helpers to assist in all 
that preliminary work. 

It was two o'clock before all the men, or sufficient of them to 
undertake to raise, were on the ground, A few more pins 
were needed, so Deacon Jones who came early, was set to 
work at them. The deacon was known as the best pin-maker 
in the settlement. His pins were always well made, and of the 
right and uniform size, and would cause no profanity on the 
part of those who drove them. When everything \yas ready, 
two or three, as the case might demand, good, strong, re- 
liable, steady nerved men were given places, each at the foot 
of a post, with iron bars to hold them firmly in place. It was 
regarded as a position of great responsibility. Then all the 
men who could get to the beam took their places, while behind 
them stood, say half as many more, with good, strong and 
long pike poles. Carpenter Strobell then took a position 
where he could see every move of every man, and in a loud, 
strong voice gave the command "Pick her right up, boys", at 
which every man grasped the beam and lifted in concert with 
the others, to the words "He-o-he" strongly accented, and 
mingled with an occasional "Up she goes". When far enough 
up, the men behind jabbed the pikes into the beams and soon 
the hardest of the lift was over. As the bent neared a per- 
pendicular some of the men with pike poles were sent around 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 75 

to the Other side, and the words "Steady boys, C-a-r-e-f-u-l" 
and the post tenons would enter their mortises. 

The bent was then "stay-lathed" in a correct position, and 
another bent tackled, and the same process gone through with, 
with the additional work of placing the girts: and so repeated 
till the last one was up. Then came the raising of the big 
plates, which brought into exercise the skill of the builder, and 
the strength of the men. The ridge pole, purlin plates and 
rafters, in the order named, were then raised to their places 
and pinned, and the barn was raised. An adjournment was 
had about 5:30 o'clock for refreshments: and fried cakes, bread 
and butter, chunks of good boiled corned beef, punkin pies, 
ginger cake, Dutch and other home made cheese, were served, 
while root beer, and, if the truth must be told, whiskey, were 
also passed around, the latter beverage dispensed by the 
Colonel himself, with a keen eye and good judgment. 

It v/as a full hour after sunset when the last pin was driven, 
and to conclude the whole performance, all the men who cared to, 
and were so disposed, climbed up and ranged themselves on 
the plates, when Joe Stubbs, chosen for the purpose, took a 
bottle of whiskey tightly corked, "named the building", as 
they called it, by repeating some rude, rhyming lines: in this 

case, 

"The pride of the builder, and owner's delight: 
Franked in ten days and raised Saturday night". 

Then calling for three cheers, the bottle was swung over his 

head, and, amid the huzzas of the whole company, thrown as 

far as his strong arm could hurl it. Then came the scramble 

to see who should reach the bottle first. If not broken, it was 

considered a good omen. In this case it was not. Wrestling, 

jumping and running, were often engaged in after raisings, 

but the hour was so late and the work had been so arduous, 

the sports were omitted. vSo with the well deserved thanks of 



76 



THE RAISING- 



Col. Russell, they departed for their several homes "By the 
silver light of the moon". 



When Capt, Van Nostrand raised his mill in Granger, Alle- 
gany Co., he had to send seven miles to procure help, and some 
of the Indians on the Caneadea Reservation assisted. The 
captain did his own framing. He was a man of nerve and 
great coolness in emergencies. The timbers were heavy, and 
in raising one at the bents some faint hearted ones were about 
to release their hold. Such action would have imperilled their 
lives. Captain Van Nostrand took in the situation at once, 
grasped a handspike and threatened dire vengeance on any 
who failed to do their best: and again giving the word "He-o- 
he" they all lifted as never before, and up it went. It was 
wise in the captain to talk thus to the men who had come to 
help him, but it was not very polite. 

John Shanks, an Indian on the Caneadea Reservation, was 
good help at a raising, because very expert in going aloft and 
venturing where many feared to go. He would stand on his 
head on the plate of a building. In performing this feat at the 
raising of the first grist mill in Wiscoy, he lost his balance and 
came tumbling down among the timbers to the rocks below, 
sustaining serious injuries, the effect of which he felt as long 
as he lived. 





At the beginning of the last century the wolf population of 
our country must have been large, if not indeed immense. 
When the first settlers made their appearance and reared theif 
rude cabins, this country seemed indeed to be the paradise or 
the wolf, but it made a veritable pandemonium for the pioneer. 
Wolves greeted him upon his advent into the wilderness, 
welcomed him to its dark forest recesses, and persist- 
ently followed his pathway to his destination. They stood 
as sentinels about the lonely cabins, and when night "mantled 
the wilderness in solemn gloom", the chorus of howls which 



78 THE WOLVES. 

they set up was enough to dismay strong hearts and make the 
blood run cold in those not much given to fear. 

Many thrilling experiences of the early settlers have been 
related, in which the wolves played a conspicuous part: and 
many adventures with wolves have been recited in later days 
to the grand children of those who participated in them. The 
wolf was distinguished for his keen appetite which was never 
satisfied. He was always gaunt and always hungry. When he 
could get it, mutton was his favorite meat, and choice spring 
lamb would tempt him long distances, and to take great 
chances. 

In 1805, Phillip Church purchased, and drove to Belvidere, 
twenty-four sheep. Arriving there late in the evening, they 
were folded close by the house. In the morning, a brother-in- 
law from New York, who was his guest, was invited out early 
to see them. Nineteen of them had been killed by the wolves! 

Next to his sheep killing propensities the wolf was noted as 
a howler. He was a howler indeed. He persistently practiced 
howling, and, as practice make perfect, his howl came to be a 
"Howling success": and when a pack of fifteen or twenty as- 
sembled for a promenade concert in the dark old forest wild, 
or some clearing close to the cabin and near to the sheep fold, 
the effect was simply appalling. 

Said Guy McMaster, historian of Steuben County: "Each 
pack had its chorister, a grizzled old veteran, perhaps, who 
might have lost a paw in some settler's trap, or whose shat- 
tered thigh declared him a martyr for the public good. This 
son of the Muses, beginning with a forlorn and quavering 
howl, executed a few bars in solo: then the whole gang broke 
in with miracles of discord. All the parts recognized by the 
scientific were carried by these "minions of the moon". 
"Some moaned in baritone, some yelled in soprano, and the 
intermediate discords were howled forth upon the night air in 
a style that would make a jackal shiver. The chorus was an 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 79 

aggregation of every known modulation of the wolf voice, and 
the eflfect was indescribable; the cattle would herd closer to- 
gether and assume an attitude of defense: the sheep and lambs 
would be paralyzed with fear, and it has been asserted, and 
never yet successfully refuted, that in some instances where an 
unusual convocation of talent was employed, young and thrifty 
trees have been stripped of their bark by their vociferous and 
long continued bowlings". 

No wonder that our pioneers declared a war of extermination 
against these howling and prowling denizens of the big woods. 
The legislature was appealed to, and laws were enacted which 
offered bounties on the part of the state, and the counties and 
towns were authorized to offer additional bounties for the kill- 
ing of wolves. The law provided that the party killing a wolf, 
or any one to whom he might sell, could go before a supervisor 
or justice of the peace and, presenting his scalps "prove up", 
as it was called, and get a negotiable certificate, payable by 
the tax gatherers or county treasurer after the next tax was 
collected. 

The war against the wolves than began in earnest, and the 
bounties were raised, so that before it was concluded one 
might realize as much as $45.00 for a full grown wolf: the 
state and county each paying $20.00 and the town $5.00. For 
young wolves, or whelps as they were called, the bounty was 
just half as much as for the full grown ones. The wolves 
rapidly disappeared, but it has been claimed that the law be- 
came so much abused in the way of using the same scalps over 
and over again, as to require additional legislation to the ef- 
fect that every supervisor or justice of the peace who granted 
certificates, should immediately burn the scalps so certified. 

It has even been claimed that one noted hunter and trapper, 
at least, did a thriving business in catching young wolves and 
keeping them till barely able to pass for full grown, thus real- 
ising $20.00 or more per head for the short time he had to care 



80 



THE W0L\"ES. 



for them. Also that this same man had back in some dark re- 
cess in the old woods, a particular she wolf which, for several 
years he guarded with jealous care, for the reason that she 
brought him good revenue by occasionally presenting him with 
a fine litter of whelps which he would, at the proper time, take 
from her and keep till full grown! 

The wolf statistics of Allegany County, N. Y., show that 
from 1808 to 1845 inclusive, there were 1746 wolves and pan- 
thers certified, at a cost to the state and county of $26,679.70. 

The same methods were in vogue in other parts of the 
country as well, and an immense amount of money must have 
been spent in the war against wolves. Since 1845 no record 
of them appears, and if a wolf has since been seen in western 
New York it must have been some stray tramp from the more 
secluded regions south. 




A PIONEER CHEESE PRESS. 



iH 






4/1''^— 



EAR MARKS. 

For the purpose of facilitating the identification of sheep and 
cattle during the years covered by the process of clearing up 
the farms of western New York, when such animals were gen- 
erally voted "free commoners", and the only fences were those 
inclosing the crops, the legislature enacted laws requiring the 
owners to mark their cattle and sheep, and have a description 
of the marks recorded in the office of the town clerk. 

These marks were generally made by cutting notches, holes 
or slits in, or cropping the ears of the animals. 

Then in the fall, or at any other time when they were taken 
up, the ear marks with the record, would furnish the proof of 
identity and established the ownership of the animal. 

In the town of Allen, Allegany Co., N. Y., in 1826, there 
was a town clerk, (the record does not reveal his name) who 
was a good penman for those days. He was also of an artistic 
turn of mind and hand. So in addition to the record, this 
clerk illustrated the marks by the figures of sheep heads with 
ears som.ewhat enlarged, for the purpose of showing them. 
■ An entry from this record book is reproduced, and helps 
to form the heading of this chapter. 

The record of ear marks for the town of Allen, began April 
4, 1823, and the last one was made March 10, 1856. 



i^^piojveerj)p 




The first settlers in any new country were by no 
means exempt from the many ills that afflict humanity. Though 
hardy and robust to a high degree, determined in will and 
nerved with steel, they were necessarily exposed to perils of 
sickness and accident, to which the congested populations of 
their old homes were strangers. There were diseases pe- 
culiar to the new country, generated perhaps by stirring the 
new soil, and fevers caused by the malaria evolved in clear- 
ing, consequent upon the exposure of swales and marshes to 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



83 



evaporation. Cases of fever and ague were frequent along the 
course of the Genesee river and some other streams, and 
the low, marshy lands in the vicinity of some of the lakes. 

The rough work of felling the forest trees, piling the logs 
and burning them, opening roads, constructing dams and mills, 
and building houses and barns, afforded abundant opportunity 
for accidents, and cuts and fractured limbs occured sometimes 
at places quite remote from the nearest doctor. 

If it required sterling qualities in the settlers to subdue the 
wilderness, the requirement was much emphasised when it 
came to the matter of the pioneer doctor. To be successful 
in his chosen profession, and where he had determined to es- 
tablish himself and "grow up with the country", he must needs 
be possessed of rare qualities of endurance, to be exposed to 
fatigue and hunger, and all kinds of weather, to make 
long journeys over the worst roads, or no roads even, 
and with the assistance perhaps of an Indian for a guide, and 
a hatchet to mark trees where the path was obscure or to help 
him on his return in case of detention over night in the woods, 
to cut browse for his horse, and hemlock bows for a bed, upon 
which he could throvv himself wrapped in a blanket for the 
night's sleep in the gloomy forest. All these incidents have 
been encountered by the pioneer doctor. 

The doctor of the period made most of his visits on horse- 
back. A pair of saddle bags were thrown across the saddle, 
while a receptacle for vials, pill boxes and packages on either 
side was filled to its capacity with "Vials and blisters, plasters 
and pills, Boneset, peppermint, syrups and squills", besides 
calomel; jalap, ipecac, and the usual variety of medicines then 
in use in country practice. When the doctor came, he first 
warmed himself by the open fire, then sat down by the sick 
one, felt the pulse, looked at the tongue, asked some ques- 
tions of the patient, then, setting his thinking machinery in 
operation, and assuming a knowledgeable look, proceeded to 



84 



THE PIONEER DOCTOR, 




select and prepare some medicine. Throwing his saddle bags 
over his knees, he unbuckled one of the covers. The first 
thing disclosed was the inevitable turnkeys for ex- 
tracting teeth, a harsh, rude old instrument, which 

even now, the 
thought of, 
awakens with 
all our 
older people, 
memories 
which are indeed horrible in the extreme. The lan- 



cet was always ready to hand in the vest pocket, and 
here's dollars to dimes, that in nine cases out of ten, the pa- 
tient was bled, or emetic was given, for it was "bleed 'em and 
puke 'em and purge 'em" in those days. 

But who shall say their success was not equal to the success 
of the present day physicians? People did not have any such 
disease as appendicitis in those days. It was simply irflamma- 
tion of the bowels, or colic, or belly-ache: and as for microbes, 
why they had never been thought of and were not to be found. 

Anesthetics were unknown, and when a surgical operation 
was imperative, some of the strongest nerved men in the set- 
tlement were summoned to assist in holding the subject, who 
after being fortified by copious draughts of liquor, was strap- 
ped upon a table or plank for the operation, in which perhaps 
a saw from the tool chest of the nearest carpenter did the ser- 
vice of the finest instruments of our times. 

It seemed a Godsend almost to those settlements which had 
some sainted old mother who was "good in sickness", who 
prided herself on her ample store of roots and herbs, like bone- 
set, pennyroyal, smartweed, catnip, skunk's cabbage, sarsapar" 
illa, wild turnip, &c., &c., which she knew so well how to pre- 
pare and administer to those who were sick, and sometimes 
she was in great demand. And when a new comer was ex- 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 85 

pected in some cabin, it was planned to have her present to 
greet its arrival and care for the mother and child. Gentle 
reader, I am aware that I may have violated a propriety in 
what I have just said. Instead of saying "when a newcomer 
was expected in some cabin" I should have said, and will say 
now, "when the stork was hovering over some cabin". I hope 
now, I have so amended it as to comply with the usages of 
modern society. 

At the best, the life of the pioneer doctor, if he had a good 
practice, was laborious and wearing. The average settler was 
in anything but affluent circumstances, and the doctors were 
sometimes paid in driblets, a little now and then, and in grain 
or vegetables: in some cases, as now, never paid. Some of 
the pioneer doctors attained great fame in the healing art, and 
their practice extended over a large extent of country. A 
notable instance was that of Dr. Ebenezer Hyde, the pioneer 
doctor of all Allegany, whose ride extended from 30 to 75 miles 
in every direction. A son, the late Dr. E. E. Hyde of Bel- 
mont, himself a doctor, used to say, with a queer kind of 
twinkle in his eye, that his father's fame was owing largely 'to 
the fact that he could not visit his patients often enough to 
keep them in bed! 

Many of the doctors of the pioneer period held warm places 
in the hearts and affections of the people, and their memory is 
still kept green and associated with many of the pleasant recol- 
lections of the older people of our day. 

It happened frequently that others besides the doctors "pull- 
ed teeth" in those early days, and in many of the settlements 
were found men who had equipped themselves with turnkeys, 
and held themselves ready to remove the offending and trou- 
blesome teeth of their neighbors, saving a trip to the doctor. 

Dr. J. E. K. Morris, in a paper read at the Centennial Cele- 
bration of Cattaraugus County and the City of Olean, held at 



00 THE PIONEER DOCTOR. 

Olean, October 6th and 7th, 1904, related two incidents which 

1 am permitted to use, quoting entirely from memory. 

A young physician had succeeded to the practice and equip- 
ment of an older one who had died or removed to other parts. 
Receiving a call, he threw the old saddle-bags of his prede- 
cessor over the saddle and mounting his horse, he made his 
way to the bed side of the sick one, where he found himself 
unable to make a diagnosis which entirely suited him. It was 
indeed a poser. But thoroughly rummaging over the contents 
of the saddle bags, which consisted largely of roots, herbs, 
leaves and but little else, he found a little package of snuff 
from which he prepared a number of powders, leaving the 
same with minute directions how to take. 

Upon his next visit he found his patient well on the road to 
recovery, which was rapid and complete! 

A doctor had a patient who was very sick, so sick indeed, 
as to suggest the propriety of counsel. Two other doctors 
were sent for, one of them living at a long distance from the 
home of the patient The doctors living nearest, had to wait 
some time for the more distant one, who finally came, and the 
council was held. When the doctors were ready to go, the 
man inquired as to their bills, offering payment. 

The doctors nearest by hesitated, but quickly agreed to leave 
it all to the one who was the most remote, and all to share 
alike. 

"Well" said the doctor from way off, "We've had a good visit, 
and a good dinner, and our horses have been well fed; As the 
pay is to be in cash, I think fifty cents will be about right" ! 






/\ 



fi 




i , « Early Religious Scenes 



ervices-4^^v._9 



A liberal percentage of our pioneers came from New Eng- 
land, where'churches were many, and church going habits were 
firmly established: and many of them were church members. 
To be deprived of the privilege of attending church was con- 
sidered by such people as one of the hardest features of pion- 
eering. It'is therefore, no wonder that the church came close 
after the school house, and regular worship was instituted at 
the earliest practicable time. While waiting for the church 
edifice, however, they were not long, nor entirely, deprived of 
preaching services, for the roving missionary was close at 
hand. Some of those early evangelists came on foot, others 
on horseback, and sending the word through the settlement, 
would hold a meeting on short notice in the school house, or 
the largest private dwelling in the neighborhood, which at first 



05 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

in nearly every instance was of logs. Instances have been 
known where the meeting was held in some new barn where 
the floor had just been laid. 

In those early years there were probably twenty five such 
missionaries engaged in Western New York, holding meetings, 
distributing tracts and founding churches. Perhaps as distinctly 
a typical missionary character as ever appeared in these parts, 
was good old Elder Ephrai Sanfordm. He roamed all over the 
country covered by Tompkins, Schuyler, Steuben, Allegany, 
Cattaraugus and part of Chautauqua counties, N. Y., and pro- 
bably preached the first sermon in more towns than any other 
of his like. 

Attired in deer skin coat and trousers, corduroy waistcoat, 
and bearskin cap, he made his way from settlement to settle- 
ment on a fairly good horse with an easy saddle, and an ample 
portmanteau: one side of which was loaded with some necess- 
sary articles of apparel, Testaments, Bibles and tracts: while 
the other would be filled with potatoes and a loaf or two of 
bread to appease hunger and provide against emergencies. 

Approaching some lowly cabin just at nightfall, he would in- 
quire if he could be entertained for the night. If, as was 
sometimes the case, he was told there was no spare bed in the 
house, and they were in want of food for themselves and had 
no oats or hay, he would ask, "May I cut some browse for my 
horse, roast my own potatoes by your fire, roll myself in my 
blanket and sleep on your floor?" And the request, it is need- 
less to say, was always granted. 

Elder Sanford felt that he was called to proclaim the glad 
tidings whenever and wherever he could secure a dozen or 
more auditors, be it in school house, the private cabin, under 
the leafy canopy of "God's first temple", or even in the field, 
or among the blackened stumps. He braved many dangers 
and suffered many privations, enduring fatigue, hardship, cold 



EARLY RELIGIOUS SERVICES. ^^ 

and hunger, in the prosecution of the work he thought himself 
called upon to perform. 

Some years since, in an interview with the late Mrs. Timothy 
Rice of Caneadea, she told me that the first rehgious service 
she ever attended in that town, was on the east side of the 
river in a log school house. It was warm summer weather and 
the preacher lived on the opposite side of the stream. .He 
came barefooted. Rolling his trousers nearly up to his knees 
he waded across on a riffle and, fearing he was a little late, 
made his way directly to the school house where, without 
stopping to put them down, he immediately proceeded with the 

service. 

Hymn books were scarce in that neighborhood, so the hymns 
were "deaconed". Fearing that young people may not know 
what the term means, and strongly suspecting that many of 
the older ones may not, it is but fair to say that the practice 
was quite common in the first years of the last century, and 
was brieflv this. After the hymn was given out and read, 
some familiar tune which was fitted to it would be selected. 
The preacher would read a couple of lines, those lines would be 
suncT then a couple more would, in like manner be read and sung, 
and^'so continued. The system of "deaconing" enabled those 
who had no books to join in the singing, for they could easily, 
by giving good attention, remember two lines at a time for the 
brie'f moment required. The practice was also called "lining". 
Later on, camp meetings were held, and churches erected, 
mostly in the villages, but some so remote from any center as 
to be quite isolated, sometimes even on lofty hill tops. Many 
of those early church edifices were of large and lofty propor- 
tions, with a gallery on three sides, and the pulpit was reached 
by a flight of stairs from six to eight feet in height. Directly 
over the minister's head, and but little distance removed, was 
placed a "sounding board" which was simply what its name 



90 



PrONEER SKETCHES. 



would imply, and was designed for the purpose of improving", 
or, megaphone-like, enlarging or intensifying his voice, or 
giving it more emphasis so as to be heard distinctly in remote 
parts of the house. 

The pews in the body of the house were square, so, if all were 
filled, one fourth of the people would face the minister, one half 
would, of necessity, have to turn one quarter of the way around 
to look at the preacher, and the backs of the remaining ones 
would be turned toward the pulpit. 

In cold weather foot stoves 
were used to keep the people 
warm. Filled with charcoal 
and placed in the middle of a 
square pew, the feet of the 
occupants would be presented 
to it. One of them was 
capable of making comfor- 
table quite a number. 

Music, at first in the pioneer churches, was entirely vocal. 
In time it was sought to introduce instrumental, and it was 
done, in some instances, only after a sanguinary struggle 
which made a coolness between the members for a long time. 

An incident. In a certain town in western New York the 
Methodists had become quite strong and had built a good 
church. "Some of the members wanted to introduce choir 
singing." Other members bitterly opposed it urging that "the 
congregation should do the singing as genuine Methodists had 
always done in the past." This raised a contention which 
lasted for some time, but in the end a choir was organized and 
peace was partially restored for a time, but the worst was yet 
to come. In time the leader of the choir wanted to use a bass 
viol and discard the "pitch pipe." This proposition was con- 
sidered, by part of the members, as a horrid desecration of 
God's house, and a contention was again raised that lasted for 




EARLY RELIGIOUS SERVICES. 



91 



weeks. However, at a special meeting, the bass viol carried 
the day by a majority vote, most of the younger members 
voting in favor of it. "On the next Sabbath the bass viol, six 
feet high, was carried into the choir. After the regular ser- 
vice was over, the "class" or "speaking meeting" followed. 
The choir leader, himself a member of the church, placed the 
"big fiddle", as it was called, up in the corner of the church, 
when, as a good brother arose to speak, he turned to the big 
bass viol, shook his fist at it, and cried out: "Thank God, my 
•wooden brother, you can't speak in class meeting." 

All in all however, the memory of those services has been 
tenderly cherished in the heart of many an old timer, as among 
the most pleasant of the many recollections of pioneer life 
and times. 




A typical pair of the old time brass And-Irons, 

The picture was made from a pair said to have been in us6 
in the home of President Martin Van Buren, at Kinderkook, 
New York. 







,J>,„C,-:w 




ISMotS)IS 



A very good idea of some of the social and financial con- 
ditions which prevailed during the years covered by the "clear- 
ing up" period of our country, may be gained by an inspection 
of old account books kept in the stores and shops of those 
days. Such records reveal, to a large extent, the habits, tastes 
and circumstances also of pioneer families. 

With that purpose in view the writer was, a few years since, 
permitted to look over a journal kept in the store of Augustus 
D'Autremont at Angelica, N. Y., which covered a period from 
Oct. 29, 18]7, to Aug. 13, 1819. The following items are 
thought proper to quote in this connection. 

Alvin Burr is charged with 1-4 yard bear skin for padding 
(?) 62 l-2c. (He was a son-in-law of Major Moses Van Cam- 
pen, a lawyer and surveyor). At another time he is charged 



THE PIONEER STORE. 93 

with "1-2 pound of raisins at 3 shillings per pound." Probably 
they "had company" at his house, and half a pound would 
answer the immediate requirements, but how does the price 
compare with "7 pounds for 25c" as we have seen in recent 
years? A paper of pins, the old fashioned ones of course, with 
twisted heads, often slipping off, is charged at 37 l-2c, while 
on the same page appears a credit of "8 quarts of black rasp- 
berries, 25c." 

John Kinghorn, the pioneer tanner, is credited with "9 sides 
of upper leather, and 20 pairs of shoes, $61.25," and to show 
that Mr. Kinghorn indulged in some fine things at least, he is 
charged with "l 3-4 yards superfine B. cloth at $8.00-$14.00". 
Such charges as these are found: "1 cow bell, $2.25: 1 pr. of 
cards $1.50: 2 hats, $5.00" Judge Philip Church is charged with 
"1 pound salt peter, $1.00", also "2 pounds Muscovado sugar 
at 2 shillings sixpence": while Amos Peabody is charged with 
"3 1-4 pounds sugar at 3 shillings sixpence, $1.42"! 

Jacob Post is credited "By cutting 16 cords wood at two 
shillings sixpence, $5.00" and "one half months wages at 
$10.00, $5.00", and is charged with "1 pair taps, 25c: 1 hat 
$5.00 and 1 vest, $3.50." And here is an entry from which 
we catch the first glimpse of the commercial traveller. "Aug. 
24, 1818, Bought this day from Mr. Sidmon, their agent, 
$260.00 of goods of G. Washburn & Co". 

Here is something that would paralyze some of the wealthy 
people to day even. "John Gait, Dr. To 1 1-4 yards super- 
fine B. cloth at $10.00, $12.50". This was evidently for a pair 
of trousers. Now when Mr. Gait had bought his trimmings 
and paid his tailor's bill his "pantaloons" would be found to 
cost him anywhere from $16.00 to $20.00." 

John Moore is credited with "2 dressed deer skins $1.12 1-2". 

If John Gait had been a hunter and had paid for his 
trousers in dressed deer skins at the rate Mr. Moore was 



94 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

credited, it would have taken more than seventeen of them to 
settle the score! 

Wolf scalp certificates were negotiable, and were, with 
some, as current as the bank notes of the times. Mr. D'Autre- 
mont had a wolf scalp account as appears by this. "Wolf 
scalps. Dr. To wolf scalp certificates, $185.00" and all along 
are found entries of transactions in wolf scalps and certifi- 
cates, as, June 4, 1819, "Wm. Foster, Cr, by full grown wolf 
$20.00". 

Cash is credited with "expenses to go and see saltpetre 
mine", but no amount is specified against it, and where was 
the mine? 

The charges for liquor of various kinds were frequent, as 
many as fifteen of such being found on one page, and some of 
the most prominent names were found in connection with 
charges for rum, brandy, gin, whiskey and wine, the price 
for whiskey being 25c, per gallon. "My account" is found 
charged with "4 pigeons from Oliver S. King, 16c", and a 
day's work same party 62 l-2c. 

The price of deer meat fluctuated from 3c to 10c per pound, 
and for years, in bartering with the Indians, a loaf of bread 
Would bring a saddle of venison. Near to and sometimes at 
places quite remote from the reservations the Indians were 
frequent customers at the stores, bringing venison, peltry, 
baskets, butter ladles etc. to barter for such goods and trinkets 
as pleased them. 

But it is needless to pursue these entries further. Enough 
has been given to materially assist one, if possessed of only an 
ordinary imagination, in making a tolerably correct estimate of 
many of the conditions prevailing in those times, and perhaps 
cause him to wonder how those early settlers could succeed as 
well as they did in conquering the imposing difficulties with 
which they were beset. 




Conditions Improve- 

X X X : patient labor plied 

The ringing axe; and from his old domain, 
Fled drowsy solitude; while far and wide, 

The scene grew bright with fields of golden grain, 
And orchards robed in bloom on hill and sunny plain. 

Hosmer. 

For years only the fields devoted to crops were enclosed. 
Next to the brush fence, came the old Virginia worm or zig 
zag fence, made of rails, the foundation generally of logs. The 
woods were depended upon for pasture and the tinkle of cow 
hells was heard in every direction. Some one of the boys 
went after the cows just at nightfall and if he were detained 
beyond a reasonable time, a gun would be fired to assure him 
of the right direction to the house. Leeks were plentiful and 



96 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



the butter generally tainted. So, to make it palatable, a leek 
or piece of an onion would be provided for each one to be 
eaten before using the butter. 

The deer population of the new country was immense, and 
the trusty rifle was depended upon largely for the supply of 
venison which was a staple meat diet. The grand old woods 
were full of wolves and sheep raising was attended with much 
risk, and no small item of expense. But the large bounties, 




K -i — \ - 

r~-»*- — -' ■ 



-%«3 in some years aggregating for- 
, 'J^^^c^ ty-five dollars, so stimulated 
>^« ""■ *^*^ the crafty hunters and trap- 
T - pers, that the country was 

practically cleared of them by 1840. 

Ox teams were very much in evidence, and every black- 
smith shop was provided with a frame in which they were 
swung up and their feet strapped in proper position for shoeing. 
Mr. Harrison Crandall of Belmont furnished the photo from 
which the pen and ink sketch of the ox frame was made. It 



CONDITIONS IMPROVE. 



97 



is the last one in all that part of Allegany County, and is at 
least 65 years old. 

The clothing was of the home spun and home woven variety 
mostly. A small patch of flax to furnish tow and linen, and a 
/y,//:'/r'^,'...4i^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^P ^^ supply the 
-^wool for the family use, 
Jwere considered indis- 
;pensable with the aver- 
age pioneer husbandman 
The little flax wheel, 
propelled by pressing 
the foot on a treadle, 
upon which was spun 
the tow and linen thread, 
to be woven into the 
coarser and finer cloth 
for the family, was an 
article familiar to every 
thrifty household. As soon as the sheep were shorn, the wool 
was hurried off to the carding mill, which might be thirty 
or more miles distant. One settler would often take the en- 
tire crop of the neighborhood, and when the wool had been 
made into rolls for spinning, another neighbor would go after 
them. 

And then the spinning sea- 
son would begin. Many and 
many of the silver locked peo- 
ple of our time can say that 
the hum of their mother's 
spinning wheel was the sweet 
lullaby which soothed them to sleep in the rude old cradle 
which, perchance, may have been as in fact it really was, in 
some instances, a sap trough! 





98 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 




After a while, 
a s conditions 
-_ i m p r o V ed, a 
better class of 
fire places was 
made of brick, 
an d fashioned 
with solid jams, 
from which a 
crane was hung 
provided wi t h 
the proper ap- 
pendages which 
greatly facili- 
tated cooking 
operations. If 
beside such fire 
places was con- 



arched brick oven, with a flue opening into the 
was considered a strictly up-to-date affair in every 



structed an 
chimney, it 
particular. 

Spring beds and mattresses were things yet in the dim and 
distant future; so geese were quite generally kept to furnish 
feathers for beds and pillows. The furniture of the pioneer's 
cabin was always plain, except in some possible instances 
where the young wife had left a home of affluence in the east, 
and brought along with her some treasured household effects. 
The bed-steads were generally of the square legged variety, 
sometimes ruder still, with rope or bark cordage. Sometimes 
an awning overhead called a tester, around which ran a fringe 
or network tipped with little tassels, was attached to the tall 
bed posts. Those who indulged in such extravagance were 
supposed to be well-to-do people. 



CONDITIONS IMPROVE. 



99 



Wooden benches with high backs, and long enough for two 
or three, served for chairs, and were called settles, and the 
chairs were generally of the splint bottomed variety, still oc- 
casionally met with. Rocking chairs were few and far be- 
tween. Cross legged tables made of good pine were used for 
common purpo s e s, 
and the brooms were I 
of splint, made of an 
evening, with a sharp 
jacknife, from some 
good straight speci- 
men of birch sapling. 
But the pride of many 
a pioneer housewife 
centered in her best 
coverlets. In all the 
different processes of 
manufacture, the se- 
lection of the wool, 
the spinning, the 
twisting, the coloring, 
the weaving, the best 
possible work, mater- 
ial and coloring, were 
employed. Some of 
them were decidedly 
artistic. Occasionally, in these days, one is met with, which 
commands much praise and admiration, and is held of course 
as an heirloom, above all price: a veritable beauty. 

Wooden plates and pewter platters were still in use, but the 
table ware, though generally plain, sometimes presented fine 
specimens of crockery. The food of the pioneer was plain, 
but hearty and abundant, except in some seasons of unusual 
scarcity like that of 1817, succeeding the "cold season" of 




L. or 



100 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



1816. During that year there was actual suffering in most 
parts of the country. But that was exceptional. Indian bread, 
mush and milk, samp and milk, Johnny cake and milk, salt 
pork, venison, corned beef and potatoes, and hulled corn, were 
the usual variations, while 

"Bean porridge hot, 
Bean porridge cold, 
Bean porridge best 
When it's nine days old" 

was a stand-by with many. 

Logging bees and raisings came 




.talMlllllltl'' 

to be of /-^ 
freque n t 

occurrrence, and at most such gather- 
ings, whiskey was freely used, some- 
times perhaps a little too freely; in 
which case disorder might ensue and 
possibly a fight. 

Speaking of fights, reminds the au- 
thor that in looking over the court records, th; 
fact is disclosed that cases of assault and bat- 
tery were of frequent occurrence during the earlier years of 
settlement, and many names of men, prominent in early his- 
tory, are found to be associated with such cases as parties. It 



RtlW' 



f' 



"^H)^^ 




iiMmi{uimninn{nmuii|wni).m 



:765 



*, 



would seem that they took it into their 
heads at times, to settle their own differ- 
ences, instead of going to court, and fre- 
quently the vanquished party would get 
the other indicted. Sometimes those in- 
dictments were dropped: in other cases, 
moved: and the aggressor would be fined. 
The fines in such cases ran from $2.50 to 
$10.00, though $5.00 was more generally 
imposed: which leads directly to the con- 
clusion that the fellow who was fined 
$2.50 didn't hurt the other fellow much, 
while $5.00 paid for a good drubbing, and 
$10.00 meant a good sound thrashing. The 
reason for the appearance of this is that if 
it was not mentioned, and some curious fel- 
low looking over those dusty old records 
should find it, he might complain that the 
whole story had not been told, you see! 

Quilting and paring bees were popular in 
some settlements. They were usually fol- 
lowed by a dance in the evening. Spelling 
schools, singing schools, and even writing 
schools, with occasional religious services in 
the school house, or some good sized private 
house or barn, if weather conditions favored, 
conducted by some travelling missionary, 
filled up the measure of the seasons. In 
case of death, the coflftn was made by the 
nearest carpenter and joiner, and the dead 
was borne to his grave in the best wagon 
suitable for the purpose in the settlement, 
or carefully carried to his last resting 
place by his neighbors on a bier. Then 
perhaps some handy settler, with impro- 
vised chisel and hammer, would rudely, 



102 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



but reverently, carve on some stone block or slab from the 
creek bottom, the name and the dates of birth and death of the 
dead, and place it at the head of his grave. Some such are 
still to be found in our old cemeteries. 

A semi, or tri-weekly mail carrier on horseback, delivered 
letters at the post office for from 25 cents down, as the years 
passed, the sendee paying the postage, sometimes leaving it a 
month or more till he could get the money. But few news- 
papers were taken, and 
sometimes two or three 
would club together to 
take one. 

The grain was a 1 1 
sown by hand, cut with 
sickle or cradle, and 
thrashed wnth a flail. 
Going to the mill some- 
times involved a day'i-^ 
journey going, and the* 
same for return. 

Mixed in with all these was the company drill and the gen- 
eral training: the circus had already become well established, 
and the clown, in fantastic costume, sporting stripes of many 
colors, his face so deftly painted as to show a mouth stretched 
from ear to ear, as he sang, as no one else could ever hope to 
sing, that inspiring old ballad "Betsey Baker", had so won the 
hearts of the small boy of the period, as to make one of the 
most pleasant memories of some of the white haired octogen- 
arians of this twentieth century. 

All this while still the old log school house teemed with its 
crowds of rustic pupils. And so, for all the world, there 
seemed to be as much happiness and real unalloyed enjoyment 
to the square mile in those days, as in the present, with clubs 
galore, cityfied manners, railroads, telegraphs, telephones, 
phonographs, bicycles and automobiles. 





Thintpipninig' 



excited tone of voice from the 



"Scat! Go away pussy". 
But pussy didn't go. She 
kept right on playing with 
the waxed ends, and as the 
shoemaker swiftly drew the 
threads, she was soon caught 
in one of the loops, when 
"Get away I tell you" came 
in a very much vexed and 

angered shoemaker, followed. 



as soon as the cat could be extricated, by "Say, Mrs. Baker, 
that cat is just making me mad. She plays with the waxed- 
ends, she's mixed my pegs all up, and tipped over the blacking 
bottle. I can't work with her raising the 'Old Harry' all the 
time. Shall I whip her?" "Yes", said Mrs. Baker, "just give 
her a good whipping and I guess she'll keep away". "Give 
her a good smart one. I'll risk the cat". 

So, watching for an opportunity, he soon succeeded in lay- 
ing on two or three smart blows with a strap. Ever after, that 
cat kept at a respectful distance from the shoemaker. That 



104 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

was just about that particular shoemaker's experience in the 
many homes he visited, and incidents like this were happening- 
all over the country. 

But what of it? Oh, nothing, only it was in this way that the 
practice of the early shoemaker in going from house to house, 
and staying at each place till every foot in the family was pro- 
vided with boots or shoes, as the case might be, for the year, 
came to be called "whipping the cat". In short it came so 
that when some member of a family where the shoemaker's ap- 
pearance had long been delayed, went to hunt him and hurry 
him up, he would ask, "When are you going to whip our cat?" 
or would say, perhaps, "You said you would whip our cat 
week before last. Now, if you don't come right off, we will 
have to look up some one else, for it is soon going to be too 
cold to go barefoot". 

In no other article of apparel, and the methods employed to 
produce it, has the change been so noticeable, as in foot gear. 
The moccasin of the Indian was appropriated and copied by 
some of the settlers in the vicinity of the reservations, and for 
purposes of hunting and tramping in the woods, had no super- 
ior. Indeed that primitive article of foot-clothing is still worn 
by professional hunters, and finds champions even in refined 
society. They were light and easy, warm and comfortable, 
and when made of the genuine Indian tanned deer skin, and 
in the real aboriginal style, sewed with sinews, they were very 
serviceable and also admitted of elaborate ornamentation. But 
our pioneers could not, neither did they care to go far, in im- 
itation of their immediate predecessors in such matters, and 
the moccasin too, was illy adapted to rough work among roots 
and stumps. 

They had occasionally to take off the hide of an ox, or cow, 
or steer, killed by accident or for purposes of food, and this 
was taken to the nearest tannery, in some cases a long dis- 



WHIPPING THE CAT. 105 

tance from home, and there sold, or left to be tanned on shares, 
or for a price to be paid when taken away. In this way sides 
of leather were found in most of the settlers homes, and in 
some instances they accumulated so as to be quite considera- 
ble in numbers. The whipping of the cat was looked forward 
to with pleasurable anticipations, and during the shoemaker's 
stay in the family, the younger members would watch his pro- 
ceedings with much interest: and when he was a jolly, good 
natured man, which was quite likely to be the case, they would 
greatly enjoy the time devoted to shoeing up the family. In 
some instances, whipping the cat was delayed till the family 
Was gfeatly in need, and sore distress was experienced. 

In course of time boots and shoes came to be made in the 
shops in the villages and hamlets. The shops were frequent- 
ly connected with tanneries, and as many as ten or a dozen shoe- 
makers would be employed. During the "whipping the cat" 
period, the boots and shoes were made on straight lasts, and 
many people practiced changing them every day to secure an 
even wear of sole and heel. When the storekeepers began to 
exhibit stocks of ready made boots and shoes, they were made 
to conform more nearly to the shape of the foot: people called 
them rights and lefts, and they seemed very odd indeed. A 
man who naturally toed out so much as to excite comment, 
purchased a pair of the new fangled boots. In a few days he 
again appeared at the store. His habit of changing his boots 
had become so firmly established, that he still kept it up with 
his new boots. The merchant noticed his feet, and observing 
that his toeing out was greatly exaggerated in apperrance, 
said to him "Why, Mr. Blank, you've got your boots on 
wrong. Your right boot is on your left foot, and your left 
boot is on your right foot". "Can't help it sir, can't help it. 
I always change my boots, sir", was the response. 



Ye ^^^.^ide Inn-- 



"The Tales of a Wayside Inn", so interesting- 
ly versified by Longfellow, embalmed its mem- 
ory in the hearts of, and endeared its story to thousands of ap- 
preciating readers. But the Wayside Inn was as distinctly 
peculiar to this new country, as the one he so celebrated in 
song "in Sudbury Town" and others, were to people "down 
east", or, 

"As any in the land may be. 

Built in the old Colonial day, 

When men lived in a grander way, 

With ampler hospitality": 

and our wayside inn was just what the name im- 
plies. Those wayside inns of our new country were scattered 
along the routes of greatest travel, and were built without any 
reference to villages present or prospective. It was however 
generally considered a favorable circumstance if the location 
happened at some four corners or forks of the road, and in- 
deed in some cases, the four corners or forks, were made to 
conform to the location of the inn. 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



107 



Railroads and Automobiles were many years in the future, 
and the most popular and aristocratic mode of travel was by 
private conveyance, or the old fashioned stage coach drawn by 




four horses, over only the best and most travelled of the roads, 
leaving- the larger part to be done by a great variety of con* 
veyances, a large proportion over roads less travelled, and 
vastly inferior in construction. The great stage route from 
Albany to Buffalo, following for a considerable part of the way 
the famous "Ridge Road", was in active operation. A main 
road from the south eastern part of the state passed through 
Elmira, Corning, Canisteo, Hornellsville, Angelica, Cuba to 
Olean, or "Olean Point" as it was called by many, where emi- 
grants to the "far west" took passage on boats and rafts on 
the swollen waters of the Allegheny. 

Another road from Auburn through Canandaigua, Leicester, 
Perry, and from thence to Olean became the famous "Allegany 
Road" and travel constantly increasing, many of the thrifty 
farmers along the main roads, conceived the idea of construct- 
ing commodious houses partitioned off into rooms, convenient 



Note — Readers who are acquainted with the locality, will discern historic 
Villa Belvedere, the old time seat of the Church family near Belvidere, N. Y. 
The coach and four are shown crossing the last wooden bridge on the upper 
Genesee. 



108 YE WAYSIDE INN. 

for the entertainment of guests, and in this way they converted 
their surplus of hay and oats, potatoes and other vegetables, 
into money. During the earlier . years, many of these hostel- 
ries were built of logs, notably those of Col. Samuel H. Mor- 
gan, near Cuba, Chauncey G. Ingham, at Hume, a quite noted 
one at Bath, and one on site of International Hotel at Niagara 
Falls. In due time framed additions, often larger than the 
original log structures, would appear, and more than probable, 
a dancing hall would be provided; for we must not forget that 
dancing was indulged in to a considerable extent in those 
times. 

Many of these wavside inns became quite popular with the 
travelling public, and the emigrants to the west, while others., 
owing largely to the peculiar personal characteristics of the 
proprietor, came in time to be shunned. Indeed it was the 
custom of those passing over the road, to inform their friends 
in the east who contemplated making the same journey, as to 
the merits or demerits of the different places along the route, 
freely advising them where to stop, and where not to stop. 

The landlords of the wayside inns came to be extensively ac- 
quainted with people of other sections, and the best posted on 
current events of any in their several neighborhoods. All 
sorts of people were constantly passing, and with every con- 
ceivable style of outfit, from the cumbrous covered emigrant 
wagon, to the latest production of the New York or Albany 
carriage maker. Newspapers were few, and the landlords of 
those inns, varying of course with their differing aptness and 
degrees of inquisitiveness, gathered the accounts of flagrant 
crimes, serious assaults and murders, from travellers more or 
less loquacious, and of evenings, or whenever John Smith, 
Sam Skinner, Hank Strong, Nehemiah Radwin, all or any of 
them, with their friends, were indulging in the social glass, 
would regale them with the same, cut up in chunks for retail 
purposes, and as likely as anyway embellished, and perhaps, 



proNEEk SKETCHES. 



109 



enlarged and amplified in due accord with their ability for such 
performances. 

The wide awake, up to date and fairly inquisitive innkeeper 
was acquainted with all the public men who traveled his way. 
Judges, senators, members of Congress, and even Governors, 
and aspiring young politicians, he knew them all, and with many 
of them was on terms of close intimacy. 














t r ' M \ 

/////^rlf;i\',\\. ,^A\\^\^ 

Those wayside inns were the scenes of much festivity, of 
m xny pleasant gatherings, great mirth and good cheer. Gath- 
ered around the cheerful fire of the spacious bar room, the 
neighbors and guests discussed the events of the war of 1812, 
like Perry's victory, and the incidents in the battles of Oueens- 



110 YE WAYSIDE INN. 

town, Lundy's Lane and Chippewa were rehearsed: and when 
the .battle of New Orleans was fought, the news found lodg- 
ment in every one of them, to be dispensed to Tom, Dick and 
Harry as they quaffed their toddy over the bar, or stopped at 
the door to tell some neighborhood happenmg. And so with 
the Seminole war, the Patriot war, and the Mexican war. 

Song singing was a favorite amusement, and the new 
country boasted of many who had excellent voices, and a large 
repertoire of patriotic, sentimental and lovesick songs, which 
were sung as the company sat around the cheerful fireplace 
fire. At the wayside inn the strolling ventriloquist and "sleight 
of hand" magician would hold forth to delighted country peo- 
ple, seated on benches improvised from boards and planks. 

Hardy and courageous troops of concert singers have been 
known to discourse their sweet songs from the same "boards" 
to the same benches more or less populated with admiring au- 
ditors. • Occasionally some travelling missionary would be ac- 
corded the use of the hall for religious meetings, and the dan- 
cing room has more than once been the scene of the first relig- 
ious meeting of the town or settlement. It is a tradition that 
the minister on some of those occasions, was thought to be 
more nimble of thought and tongue, from taking a glass of 
good warm flip dexterously prepared by the landlord just be- 
fore the services! 

In the better class and most popular houses of pioneerdom, 
the guests were supplied with slippers when they retired for 
the night, leaving their boots and shoes paraded about the am- 
ple health, and the warming pan was freely used in the beds, 



> MmmimiMMimum>'ffl'«ii"i'in'iiHnnii«n-Mimi--i ■-^x^.^^.^-^^ ^ ^s.-^i^^^^■l.^.^■^^>.«..s^ .A^^|v; 



From Hon. Wm. P. Letchworth's 
Collection. 




PIONEER SKETCHES. 



Ill 



the most of which were in rooms not warmed, and some quite 
remote from any fires. By filling; the pan with good live coals, 
and deftly moving it between the sheets, a bed, albeit in a 
room of zero temperature, was made quite comfortable in a 
very few minutes to the great satisfaction and delight of the 
occupant. 

In the days of the wayside inn, all the beef cattle were driven 
to New York and other markets in droves, and some of the 
keepers of those inns made a business of keeping them, hav- 
ing large pasture fields securely fenced, and well provided 
with water, and derived considerable profit from the business. 
If it happened that the wayside inn was favorably situated, as 
at some prominent four corners, and easily accessible to a 
large extent of country, the company drills and general train- 
ings would be held there, also turkey shoots, in which case 
the innkeeper was sure to derive considerable revenue from the 
crowds which always attended. 

Many of the old structures built during the second quarter 
of the last century, are still standing, and the practiced eye 
will at once detect them. As a rule the better class, which 
were stately, two storied edifices, guiltless of any attempt at 
a porch, wore on their gable ends, the inevitable "sun- 
bursts" of those days. Some of the more ambitious private 
houses of the day were so ornamented, and architecture, like 
history and fashion, repeating itself, they are again coming in- 
to vogue, though in a somewhat modified form. 



Bill Moseley^s Turkey Shoot. 







Bill Moseley, of Butternut Flats, had succeeded in raising a 
full hundred turkeys. They had been carefully tended and 
bountifully fed and were in prime condition, the best in all the 
parts. When the cold, frosty nights came on, he began to 
think of disposing of them, for his stock of turkey food was 
getting low. Bill's was not the only flock of turkeys in that 
section, and their cash value was low, lower considerably than 
their roosts, even if they roosted on the fence. So after duly 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 113 

considering the matter, he concluded to put them up to be shot 
at, and have a first-class turkey shoot. 

Bill was a jolly fellow and his acquaintance was extensive. 
He was also sharp and quick witted, and in matters of deal, 
though perfectly responsible, would bear watching: in fact he 
needed it, for his conscience was of tf'^ adjustable kin^d— q':iite 
elastic, and could be accomodated to alfnosL," ::-:y iJonceivable 
condition. 

Bugville was in the midst of beautiful Butternut Flats and 
boasted of its Eagle Tavern, a store and post office, grist mill, 
wagon shop, cooper's shop, blacksmith and shoe shop, with a 
tannery in process of erection. A new stage route had been 
established, with Bugville for one of its terminals, and the city 
the other, the distance covered being just a good days drive 
over fairly passable roads; the two stages meeting for dinner 
at the Half Way Tavern at Oak Hill. 

Joe Jackson, one of the drivers, and Bill Moseley, had come 
to be great friends and boon companions. Joe had a brother 
who was a printer in the city, and he persuaded Bill to let him 
get his brother to print some bills for him, claiming that he 
could get it done a little better and a little cheaper than anyone 
else, and would bring them out free of charge. Bill's pride 
was appealed to, as it would be the first turkey shoot to be ad- 
vertised with printed bills in all that section. 

Joe did the business up in good shape, as appears by 
the bill. 

TURKEY SHOOT! 
The undersigned will put up— 100 GOOD FAT TURKEYS near 

The Eagle Tavern, Bugville, 
to be shot at by all who wish a good Christmas or New Year's 
Dinner, for a little money. 

Resting shot at 40 rods 10c 

Off-hand shot at 40 rods 5c 

Resting shot at 30 rods 15c 

Off-hand shot at 30 rods 10c 

Any shot drawing blood takes the bird. 



114 BILL MOSELEY'S TURKEY SHOOT. 

Bill Jones of Hardscrabble, and Sam Weller of Beaver Mea- 
dows, are barred, but may shoot at double rates if they wish 
to. Shoot to begin at one o'clock in the afternoon of Decem- 
ber 23, 1835. 

Bugville, Dec. 15, 1835. WILLIAM MOSELEY. 

Jones anJ We ier oi course were not well pleased, but they 
had to stand it. It was however somewhat consoling, as it 
justified their claim to be the best marksmen in the neighbor- 
hood. Mosely didn't care to sell his turkeys for 5 and 10 cents 
a piece. The bills were industriously; posted and the shoot 
came off as advertised. The day was fine, and the crowd was 
large. Three or four city sports, Joe Jackson's particular 
friends, came out in the stage the day before, and when Dea- 
con Mosher awoke that morning, he was surprised to find a 
good fire started, and Billey Bowlegs, Sam Sundown and Tom 
Trimsharp, Indians from the reservation, in full possession of 
the kitchen, having arrived sometime after midnight, and find- 
ing the door unfastened, a habit of the deacon's of which, 
doubtless, they were aware. The Indians were expert in 
shooting deer. 

The shooting began promptly at the appointed time, and, 
for a while, was very lively. It was indeed a noisy afternoon 
for Bugville. With an eye to business, Moseley had, through 
his agents, so largely promoted the sale of drinks at the bar of 
the Eagle, that by 3 o'clock, it looked as if he would take in 
money enough to net a good price for all his turkeys, and still 
have half of them left. 

Just then there came a load of six men from the Brier Hill 
settlement, nearly twenty miles away, every one of them a 
crack shot. Bill knew of them, but it never occurred to him 
that the wide publicity the printed bills would give his turkey- 
shoot, would attract marksmen from so far, and they were not 
barred. The captain of the Brier Hill shooters, Jim Swanzy, 



PIONEER SKETCHES 




TOM TRiMSHARP, on his way to the Turkey Shoot. 
Ugh! Golly! Gess me shoot em sum turkey too-hey! 

was a full match in every particular for Bill Moseley, and had 
through a spy, secured the exact measurements of the distances 



116 BILL MOSELEY'S TURKEY SHOOT. 

at which Moseley's turkeys were to be shot at, and their guns 
and charges had been»thoroughly tested, and the men were as 
thoroughly sober. (Parenthetically it may be remarked that 
the distances at which the turkeys were placed were sometimes 
found to be much longer than was claimed by the owners). 
The old crowd became hilarious, and the frequency of drinks 
began to tell on their nerves, and many wild shots were the 
result. At once the Brier Hill fellows began to shoot, and the 
birds were picked off with amazing rapidity. 

Bill's "heart was in his boots" in short order, at seeing his 
turkeys go so cheap, and his friends showed their friendship by 
making every effort to induce the Brier Hillers to drink, and 
were ready to treat to any extent. But they stoutly refused, 
expressing their thanks, and saying "they were too busy just 
then, but would accomodate them when they got through 
shooting", and they kept right on till the last turkey was put 
up and won, hardly giving the other fellows a chance. At one 
time Bill's friends suggested to him that a number of birds 
might in some way be held back, secreted or taken away, and 
something in that line was actually attempted: but the Brier 
Hill chaps were "on to their job". Their spy detected and 
stopped it. He had kept a strict count of all the birds shot and 
would allow no fooling. 

Forty eight turkeys were won by the sharp rifles of Brier 
Hill. Some were killed outright, others were maimed so as 
to make it an act of mercy to kill them, while a full half of the 
number were only slightly hurt, and some required an expert 
to detect blood. 

Throwing the dead turkeys into the wagon-box, and the 
others into a large dry-goods box, all the arrangements for the 
home journey were completed ; when, as they promised in the 
beginning, they were ready to drink with the Bugville chaps, 
who could not — with good grace — withdraw their offers. So 
they repaired to the tavern and the spacious bar-room was soon 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 117 

filled with the crowd, and whiskey straight, hot " Tom and 
Jerry," toddy and flip and cider, flowed freely. If the Brier 
Hill fellows were good shooters, they were as good patrons 
of the bar, and while in a near by building, a lot of turkeys 
won by the Butternut Flats fellows, were being raffled for by 
one party of men, while others were engaged in the old time 
practice of "snufBng the candle", that is, shooting at a lighted 
candle for a mark, they continued to imbibe, to tell stories, to 
sing, dance and have a jolly good time. 

As the hours passed, the moon showed full above the hills, 
audit was time for the Brier Hill fellows to start for home. 
But they were in no condition to go. Some were too full for 
utterance, others filled up just far enough to swash about, 
while no one of the party was capable of driving the team. 
This was Bill Moseley's opportunity, and he was quick to em- 
brace it. He felt sort of worked up over the result, and now 
saw a chance for revenge, and possibly for recovering some of 
his turkeys. His lieutanants were ready to carry out his plans. 
For the first four or five miles the road, over which the Brier 
Hill people had to travel, was in a horrid condition, and, in 
places, almost impassable. So Bill, in the goodness (?) of his 
large heart, offered to send an escort of two men who were 
entirely sober, one to drive, and the other to help in bad places 
till they should get to where the road was better, and possibly 
also until they were sobered up. 

They started. It was indeed a queer load. The dead tur- 
keys, the live turkeys, making more or less noise, the drunken 
men, some hardly able to sit up, and the hilarious ones who 
wouldn't keep still, and made lots of noise. They made fair 
progress, however, till they reached a bad place along a dug- 
way, where the driver made some miscalculation and allowed a 
wheel to get too near the bank, when the conglomeration of 
live and dead turkeys and more or less drunken men, was pre- 
cipitated some fifteen feet below, among the shrubs, bushes 



118 BILL MOSELEY'S turkey SHOOT. 

and tree tops. The horses, by some fortunate breakage of 
irons, kept the road with the driver who, at the time, was 
plodding along afoot. 

The miserable dry-goods box, a rickety old thing at the 
best, went to pieces, and the turkeys were liberated and scat- 
tered in every direction. It was near morning before the 
wagon was back in the road, but the men from Brier Hill were 
so completely sobered as to resume their way with their dead 
turkeys, and the loss of the live ones was more than balanced 
by their good luck in escaping serious injuries. 

Mike Parsons and Dave Sanborn, Bill Moseley's men, at 
once retraced their steps to Bugville, and informed him just 
where turkey shooting might be found good for a short time: 
and Bill of course was in condition to profit by the knowledge 
thus gained. 

Two of the city chaps secured a turkey each, after expend- 
ing many shots: but they were out just for fun and they made 
a lot of it for themselves and the whole crowd, who gazed 
with curious interest on their cityfied clothing, polished boots 
and queer manners. Of the Indians, Tom Trimsharp was the 
only one who won a bird, for though good shoots for deer, 
they were soon gloriously drunk, and in no condition for 
shooting, though they wasted many shots, and so had so much 
less money to spend for snick-e-i. 

Ephraim Thornton, "mine host" of the Eagle, counted con- 
siderable revenue from the barn, meals and drinks: indeed he 
was ever after known to brag of it as the best day he ever had. 
Bill Moseley was well suited with the final outcome, and gen- 
eral satisfaction prevailed. Even Deacon Mosher, who had to 
harbor and endure the Indians the night after, was pleased 
with the first turkey shoot ever advertised with printed bills in 
Bugville. 




OENERAL TRAimiSe. 



During the Log School House 
. Period, the old Militia System of the 
state was in operation, and all the 
able bodied white male citizens, be- 
tween 18 and 45 years of age, were 
held liable to do military duty. All 
the officers of each brigade or battal- 
ion were required to rendezvous two 
days in succession in June, July or 
August, for drill, under the brigade 
inspector. A day was also appointed 
for the commissioned officers and 
musicians of the regiment to meet for 
drill. This was usually the day af- 
ter the last mentioned gathering. A 
general training, or parade, and re- 
view of each brigade occurred once 
in each year. 
"General training" was the day of all days m the year's cal- 
endar, that was looked forward to with the liveliest anticipa- 
tions, by old and young, all ages and conditions. The small 
boy of the time, who had succeeded in gathering a few pennies, 
would extract more real enjoyment from the gingerbread he 
could buy with them, than the lads of our time get from as 



120 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

many shillings, or perhaps dollars, expended in the fashionable 
nicknacks of the day. Most everything else had, for the time, 
to give way for general training. All turned out to have a 
jolly good time. 

The commanding officer appointed the time, place of meet- 
ing, and extent of the parade ground. It was by his permis- 
sion only, that spirituous liquors were sold on the grounds. 
"Total abstinence" on these occasions was not the rule. 

The words of another will be used in the following humor- 
ous description of the general training and the crowds attend- 
ing. Of course the account is only typical of the average of 
such parades and crowds, and is probably only applicable to 
the last years of the old general training period. Possibly it 
may be slightly overdrawn, but the reader can allow the usual 
discount, and thus get pretty near to the actual truth in regard 
to those gatherings after the old militia system had fallen into 
disrepute, and was made the subject of much ridicule, mirth 
and frivolity. 

"Although the companies exhibited the elite of our regimen- 
tal splendors, glittering with tinsel and flaunting with feathers, 
a more heterogenous and unsoldierly parade could hardly be 
imagined. There were the elect from the mountains, who 
sometimes marched to the rendezvous barefooted, carrying 
their boots and soldier clothes in a bundle: the ambitious cob- 
blers, tailors and plowboys from the cross road hamlets, and 
remote rural districts, short, tall, fat, skinny, bow-legged, 
sheep-shanked, cock-eyed, hump-shouldered and sway-backed, 
equipped by art as economically, awkwardly and variously, as 
they were endowed by nature: uniformed in contempt of all 
uniformity, armed with old flint-lock muskets, horseman's 
carbines, long squirrel rifles, double barrelled shotguns and 
bell muzzled blunderbusses, with side arms of as many differ- 
ent patterns, from the old dragoon saber of Harry Lee's Le- 
gion, to the slim basket hilted rapier which had probably 



COMPANY DRILLS AND GENERAL TRAINING. 



121 



graced the thigh of some of our French allies in the Revolu- 
tion. 

"The officers of the volunteer companies, on the other hand, 
were generally selected for their handsome appearance and 
martial bearing, and shone with a certain elegance of equip- 
ment, each in the uniform pertaining to his company. There 
was also a sprinkling of veterans of 1812, recognizable by a 
certain martinet precision in their deportment, and a shadow of 




contempt for their crude comrades, but quick to resent any 
extraneous comment derogatory to the service. A city dandy 
who undertook to ridicule the old fashioned way in which some 
officers carried their swords, was silenced by the snappish re- 
ply: 'Young man, I've seen the best troops of (xreat Britian 
beaten by men who carried their swords that way'. 



122 PIONEER SKETCHES, 

"This harlequinade of equipment, costume and charactef, 
was duly paraded twice a day, marched through the streets, 
and put through its maneuvres on the green common adjoin- 
ing the village, much to the satisfaction of all emancipated 
school boys, ragmuffins, idlers, tavern-keepers, and cake and 
beer vendors, and somewhat, perhaps, to the weariness of in- 
dustrious mechanics who had apprentices to manage, and busy 
housewives who depended on small boys for help". 

Before 1850 the general training, and the olTficers' and com- 
pany drills had so deteriorated as to become farcial and mirth- 
provoking in the extreme, fully matching in some instances the 
parade of fantastics in a modern Fourth of July procession. 

Sometimes if too much of the ardent had been indulged in — 
those in the ranks cut up all sorts of pranks— the musicians al- 
so were sometimes affected, as witness those in the picture, 
particularly the fifer. 

The dress of the officers and trappings of the horses were 
gaudy with gilt and tinsel. The old military chapeau, or the 
tall hat, surmounted with showy white and red feathers, the 
galloping to and fro, and the flashing of swords in the bright 
sunlight, made an enduring impression on the small boy of the 
time, the old man of to-day: and many an octogenarian will 
still insist that The General Training aft'orded more real genuine 
pleasure, the old fashioned circus possibly excepted, than any 
of the events of his boyhood days. 




During the years of general traning, the big woods were full 
of men carrying military titles: scarce a town but had its gen- 
erals and as for colonels, captains and lieutenants, why every 
settlement, every hill and every hollow and four corners had 
them, enough and to spare. 



Jonathan Thatcher. 

A CHARACTER. 

The pioneers of Western 
New York were not all saints 
by any means. Far from it. 
It may be also, that they aver- 
aged no better than the pres- 
ent population, if indeed as 
well. It must be confessed 
there were many extraordinary 
characters among the settlers. 
Some had made records as In- 
dian fighters, some had been 
made captives by the Indians 
and had been assimilated, as it 
were, into their tribes, and giv- 
en names, like Horatio Jones 
and Jasper Parrish. Some 
perhaps had been tories and 
took part with Indians and 
British in the Revolution, and it is barely possible that the 
grand old woods furnished asylum for an occasional horse 
thief who was wanted in staid old Connecticut or Vermont, or 
villains of deeper dye who had fled from justice and sought re- 
fuge in this new country. 

Another class who, if not very many, were numerous enough 
to supply every settlement with more than was wanted, were a 
lot of ne'er-do-wells who were not noted for piety, cleanliness 




124 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

nor industry, nor had been famous for bloody encounters with 
the Indians. Some of this class were trappers and made a pre- 
carious livelihood by trading skins for powder and clothing, 
and some were farmers in a small way. All of them however 
were rovers and idlers. 

Of this class was Jonathan Thatcher, as curious an old fel" 
low as ever roamed through the woods. At various times he 
lived in Hume, Caneadea and Belfast, Allegany County, N. Y., 
but his fame covered all the upper Genesee country and spread 
considerably east and west: and from 1835 to 1865 he was more 
generally known all over the territory indicated, than any other 
man. He was the country's most extraordinary character. It 
was his habit to roam about constantly. Indeed, such was his 
reputation in this respect, that a man once offered to make a 
wager that he could start four men at the same time, from the 
corners at Fillmore, each taking a different road, and that each 
of them before going two miles, would meet Jonathan That- 
cher, and that as many as two of them would meet Betsey his 
wife, trudging along behind, and no one dared to take the bet! 

Jonathan had no remarkable talents. He certainly was not 
thrifty. As the picture indicates he was not over particular 
about his dress. No one ever presumed to call Jonathan a 
dude, and the one thing he hated above everything else, was 
soap. When soap was mentioned it would nearly throw him 
into convulsions. He didn't like it hard or soft, hot or cold, 
white or brown, plain or colored. He said it didn't agree with 
him, but he couldn't prove it, for no one knew of his ever try- 
ing it. No one who ever saw this wild man of the woods was 
able to forget him; and those to whoai Jonathan did not ap- 
pear in their dreams were counted lucky. Thatcher is suppos- 
ed to be one of the twenty historic families which, tradition 
says, an enterprising land speculator introduced as settlers in a 
certain township on the Holland Purchase, as a condition of a 
bargain with Joseph Ellicott, the land agent at Batavia, where- 



JONATHAN THATCHEK. 125 

by he was to have a large tract of land at greatly reduced 
prices. The settlers moved in, the colony was established, and 
Ellicott sent a man to investigate. This man reported that he 
found a colony of twenty adult settlers, heads of families, but 
"if hell were raked with a fine toothed comb, another such lot 
could not be found". 

Jonathan had two brothers. Alike and Jim, but neither 
achieved the peculiar fame that he enjoyed. As to the ances- 
try of the family, nothing trustworthy was ever learned. Mike 
however one day, inadvertently let in a little light on this inter- 
esting branch of the subject, but only in a negative way. A 
neighbor, who was something of a wag, one day said: "Mike 
there's a bad story started about you. It will hurt you if you 
can't stop it, for people are beginning to believe it". What 
is it?" inquired Mike. "Why" said the neighbor, "they are 
saying that there is human blood in your veins". "It's a lie, 
an infernal lie" said Mike, "and I can prove it. I can lick the 

man that said it, too. There a'int a d d drop of human 

blood in me, and never was". 

Jonathan was a patriot. He said he was at Lundy's Lane 
and fought and bled, and came near dying for his country. 
When living near Belfast, Jonathan had a canoe, and one win- 
ter it was frozen in the ice. A great thaw came on. The ice 
breaking, Thatcher sought to secure his boat, when the swell- 
ing current moved the large cake of ice, in which the canoe 
was frozen, away ffom its moorings, and he was soon out 
on the swiftly running flood at the mercy of the elements. 
There was a dam a few miles below. Jonathan knew it, 
and was fully aware of the gravity of the situation. As he 
neared it, it is said he fervently prayed to God for deliver- 
ance and promised never to do another wicked thing. The 
dam was reached, the shock encountered in making the passage 
parted the canoe from the ice, Thatcher clinging to it with all 
the tenacity of a cat. By the help of some people who saw him 



126 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

he was rescued from a watery grave. It was afterward told by 
some of his rescuers, that as soon as Jonathan was thoroughly 
assured of the fact that he was on terra firma, and safe, he ex- 
claimed that "it was the d dest flood he ever got into". 

A whole volume might be written of anecdotes and adven- 
tures, reminiscent of Jonathan Thatcher, but for the purpose 
of this sketch the foregoing must sufifice. As the years passed 
Jonathan and his wife grew old and became debilitated and, 
having no visible means of support, they were, against Jona- 
than's strong protests, taken "over the hill to the poor house". 
Their stay there was short. Subjected to a bath, housed in warm 
rooms, clad with clean rainment and supplied with wholesome, 
nourishing food, the change was so abrupt and decided, the 
shock so great, their systems, which had survived so many 
years of the old regime, gave way. Succumbing to the new, 
and what the world calls better conditions, their natures with- 
stood, for a few days only, the effects of the shock, and they 
passed away. 

No imposing shaft marks the resting place, nor gilded mau- 
soleum received the remains of Jonathan Thatcher, yet his 
name will be handed down to, and his memory kept green by, 
generations yet unborn, who will gaze with a sort of listless 
admiration on the proud columns which bear the names of 
those of whom they have never heard, and are hardly curious 
enough to inquire. 

Note — This chapter appeared some years since in the Roch- 
ester Post Express, and is the joint production of Mr. W. H. 
Samson, the managing editor of that paper, and the author: 
the first part of it being by Mr. Samson. 



Red Jacket. 



SA-CO-YA-WAT-HA. (He keeps them awake.) 

At the great 

Mil council or 
treaty of Big 
Tree in Sept- 
ember 17 9 7, 
when the In- 
dians parted 
with their title 
to most of west- 
ern New York, 
to Robert Mor- 
ris, nearly a 
dozen reserva- 
tions of more 
or less extent, 
in the immed- 
iate vicinity of 
their 'principal 
villages, were 
made. On 
these reserva- 
tions the In- 
dians gathered and lived, and so, daring the earlier years of 
the pioneer period, many of the settlers were close neighbors 
with them. The relation on the whole was pleasant and many 
of the pioneers became quite proficient in their language, and 




\^%^'.^iir^ 



128 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

were able to converse with them with but little restraint. 

In some cases the children of Indian parents attended the 
district schools, and made good progress in their studies. The 
acquaintance between the whites and the Indians came to be 
quite extensive, and the names of many of the more prominent 
of the Indians have been handed down from one generation to 
another, and are familiar to many still living. Always to be 
first spoken of in such connection was the renowned orator 
Red Jacket, a picture of whom heads this chapter. Aside from 
being a wonderful orator, he was a much travelled man, and 
frequently visited different parts of the country, generally on 
foot and following the centuries old trails, though sometimes, 
and always during his later years, he made his journeys astride 
a pony. 

In those years he sometimes rode his pony out from his 
home near Buffalo to Batavia following "the white man's 
trail" (the old stage road), and at the old Eagle Tavern would 
engage in playing checkers, at which game it was said he was 
quite an expert. Between games, potations of the white man's 
fire water would be indulged in, and if the process of playing 
and drinking continued long enough, his ability to play a sharp 
game was considerably lessened. His wonderful power as an 
orator was nearly equaled by his appetite for drink, and it has 
been said that on several occasions he was known to pawn his 
Washington melal, of which he was e-.pecially proud, and 
which he prized very highly, and wore on all public occasions, 
for liquor. 

He was thoroughly opposed to the policy of selling the In- 
dian lands, and made powerful speeches in support of his posi- 
tion, nevertheless his name was always appended to the deeds 
of conveyance. He viewed with alarm the encroachments of 
the whites and the progress of settlement, and was said to be 
overcome with emotion when, in following the old trails, from 
one Indian village to another, he would come upon a fence 



RED JACKET. 



129 



enclosing a clearing, or perhaps a field of wheat, and be 
compelled to make a detour to get into the trail again. 
The author has been treated by an eye and ear witness to a 
description of his style and manner when speaking. The gen- 
tleman said he knew the subject of the deliberations at the 
council, but not a word of the Indian tongue, and yet it seem- 
ed as if he knew, and could not help knowing, just exact- 
ly what he (Red Jacket) was endeavoring to impress 



iA_,Q^£^i-t,-t2 




Sa-go-ye-wat-ha, Os-que-sont. 
Red Jacket's Tomahawk, 



upon his auditors, for" said he, "he spoke with his hands 
and arms, his eyes and every feature of his face, and every 
movement of his body". He said it was "simply wonderful", 
and that he "had listened to many of the noted orators of his 
day, but none of them, in his opinion, equalled Red Jacket". 

A short time before his death he visited the cabins of his 
most intimate friends, telling them he was passing away and his 
counsels would be heard no more, closing with these words 
which are indeed truly eloquent and are equal in classic beauty, 
to the great passages of the great orators not only of the past 
but of the present. 

"I am about to leave you, and when I am gone and my 
warnings shall no longer be heard, nor regarded, the craft and 
avarice of the white man will prevail. Many winters have I 
breasted the storm, but I am an aged tree. I can stand no 



]30 



PIONEER SKETCHES. 



longer. My leaves are fallen, my branches are withered, and 
I am shaken by every breeze. Soon my aged trunk will be 
prostrate, and the foot of the exulting foe of the Indian, may 
be placed upon it in safety; for I leave none who will be able 
to avenge such an indignity. Think not I mourn for myself. 
I go to join the spirits of my fathers, where age cannot come, 
but my heart fails when I think of my people, who are soon to 
be scattered and forgotten". 

Tall Chief, Little Beard, Long Beard, Destroy Town, Parrot 
Nose, Big Kettle, George Powderhorn, Young King, Pollard 
Cornplanter, Col. Shongo, Gov. Blacksnake, Copperhead, were 
the names of some of the Indians of note who were known to 
the pioneers. 




fi^OCLXlJx 



'tjB^rr^ 



Through the courtesy of Frank H. Severance, Secretary of 
the Buffalo Historical Society, Mr. Tucker was permitted to 
sketch the pipe-tomahawk and wampum belt, from the original 
articles in the collection of the society. So the reader can be 
assured that these pictures are correct in every detail; unlike 
in this respect, the many spurious ones which have been turned 
out by unscrupulous artists and writers on a confiding reading 
public. 

The card of the Historical Society, reads "Red Jacket's 
tomahawk. Presented to him by Washington". 

Os-que-sont is the Seneca for tomahawk, hatchet — axe, so 
Sa-go-ye-wat-ha, Os-que-sont is proper for Red Jacket's hatchet 
or axe. 



Mary Jemison. 

DE-HE-WA-MIS. 

'The white woman of the Genesee". 

Mary Jemison, the 
white woman of the 
Genesee, was exten- 
sively known over a 
large part of western 
New York, during the 
last quarter of the 18th, 
and the first quarter of 
the 19th centuries. The 
pathetic story of her 
capture by the Indians 
and adoption into an 
Indian family, her seem- 
ingly satisfied life 
among them, and her intermarriages with them, invested her 
life with much of the romantic: and the interesting account 
has been read and re-read by most people who are acquainted 
•with western New York history. 

The picture which accompanies this chapter is taken from 
a painting by Mr. Carlos Stebbins, of Pike, an artist of 
much celebrity. The painting is kept in the log cabin at Sil- 
ver Lake. It was made by getting a symposium of the per- 
sonal recollections of many old residents who knew her, and 
is supposed to convey a very clear idea of her appearance dur- 
ing the last years of her life. Those who are acquainted with 




132 PIONEER SKETCHES. 

Mr. Stebbins' portrait, will at once detect a little change about 
the head and feet, which Mr. Tucker felt warranted in making 
ill copying. She died on the Buffalo reservation in 1833, and 
was there buried, but in March 1874, Hon. Wm. P. Letchworth, 
with the consent of her descendants and all interested, caused 
her remains to be removed to the council house grounds at 
Glen Iris, Portage Falls, where an appropriate monument has 
been erected, on which is copied the inscription which was on 
the original grave stone, near Buffalo. 

Mr. Letchworth has recently put out another edition of her 
life, beautifully bound and finely illustrated. 



The Old Trundle Bed. 

Oh the old trundle bed where I slept when a boy! 

What canopied king might not covert the joy? 
The glory and peace of that slumber of mine, 

Like a long, gracious rest in the bosom divine: 
The quaint, homely couch, hidden close from the light, 

But daintily drawn from its hiding at night, 
Oh, a nest of delight, from the foot to the head, 

Was the queer little, dear little old trundle bed. 



Oh the old trundle bed, where I wondering saw 

The stars through the window, and listened with awe 
To the sigh of the winds as they tremblingly crept 

Through the trees where the robins so restlessly slept: 
Where I heard the low murmurous chirp of the wren. 

And the katydid listlessly chirrup again, 
Till my fancies grew faint and were drowsily led 

Through the maze of the dreams of the old trundle bed. 

Oh the old trundle bed, Oh the old trundle bed! 

With the plump little pillow and the old fashioned spread. 
Its snowy white sheets, and its blankets above, 

Smoothed down and tucked round with the touches of love. 
The voice of my mother to lull me to sleep 

With the old fairy stories my memories keep 
Still fresh as the lilies that bloom o'er the head, 

Once bowed o'er my own in the old trundle bed. 

James Whitcomb Rilev. 



The Old Log House. 




Photo by E. P. Ay 



To the minds of many this old log house, typical of the bet- 
ter class, last to be built, and longest to survive, is eminently 
suggestive. 

The framed addition betokening prosperity is noticeable, 
and the well built chimney, doubtless succeeded the stick and 
mud affair so prevalent for many years. It stands on the 
farm of Mr. Geo. Amsden in Cuba, N. Y., and was built some 
seventy years ago. 

Strange indeed is the medley of events of which this old 
house is the reminder. It suggests the spinning wheel, the 
loom, the tin oven and well sweep, and doubtless has been 
the scene of all the incidents, usual and unusual, to the "clear- 
ing up period" of a new country. 



The Ruined Hearth. 




Hard by some aged apple tree, 

Or where the "live-forever" grows, 

A mound of earth and stones we see, 
Where once the settler's cabin rose. 



A tangled clump of roses near. 

Still blooms in Jume, where long ago 

A root, the housewife planted here, 
A fragrant blessing to bestow. 



136 THE RUINED HEARTH. 

Or lovely stands a lilac where, 
Beside the humble cabin door, 

Its Persian perfume filled the air, 
An oriental gift of yore. 

Stern was the strife, and hard the lot, 
Of those who came these lands to clear, 

But woman sought to make the spot 
A little paradis.e of cheer. 

Near by a spring, that welled from earth 
Its waters clear as Naiad's bath, 

The settler fixed his humble hearth. 
And joined them by a well worn path. 

Long lost, as ties that friends unite 
Are severed by time's wasting hand; 

The fire place with its cheerful light, 
Is but a memory in the land. 

Once, happy children played about 
This hearth now desolate, then warm, 

When fierce wild winter raged without, 
Their merry voices mocked the storm. 

And youth in eager search for lore — 
(Few books stern poverty supplied) 

The well thumbed pages oft would pore, 
By fire light at the chimney side. 

Here joy and grief, and love and hate — 
All passions of the human breast, 

Have joined to swell the sum of fate. 
Deep in the grave their victims rest. 



PlOlsTEER SKETCHES. 137 

Old Hearthstonelcould the half be known 

Of all the secrets thou dost hold, 
E'en worthy of Rosetta stone, 
Would be the tale thou would'st unfold: 

For thou, our country's cradle art, 

The altar of our social ties^ 
Here beat the people's truest heart. 

Was found unselfish sacrifice. 

Then let the grassy mound remain. 

All undisturbed in peace tc lie, 
Leave it unharmed — a mute refrain, 

A memory ■of days gone by. 

By E. Manley Wilson. 

Note — The "mound of earth .amd stones" pictured above 
•shows what a few years ago was left of the chimney stack of 
the cabin of Major Moses Van Campen, in McHenry Valley, 
Almond, N. Y. The photo from which the drawing was made 
was taken by Mr. LaFrone Merriman late of Hornellsville- 
The chimney was built in 1796. 



...INDEX.., 

The School House ...,., 1 

The Pupils 7 

The Teachers 12 

Master Wayback's School, 19 

Boarding Around 27 

Ye Spelling Bee . . 33 

The Singing School , 42 

The Old Well 50 

The Pioneer Surveyor - 51 

Frontier Conditions 60 

The Logging Bee 67 

The Raising . . 72 

The Wolves 77 

Ear Marks . 81 

The Pioneer Doctor . . 82 

Early Religious Services , 87 

The Pioneer Store 92 

Conditions Improve 95 

Whipping The Cat ^ 103 

The Wayside Inn . 106 

Bill Moseley's Turkey Shoot 112 

General Training 119 

Jonathan Thatcher 123 

Red Jacket 127 

Mary Jemison 131 

The Old Trundle Bed 133 

The Old Log House 134 

The Ruined Hearth 135 



...ILLUSTRATIONS... 

OTHER THAN CHAPTER HEADINGS. 

Master Wayback 14 

The School Ma'am 17 

Going to Spelling: School 35 

Old Fire Shovel 41 

Spinning Flax 48 

Well Sweep 50 

Surveyors at Work 57 

Tin Lantern 58 

Surveying Instruments 59 

Breaking into the Woods 61 

Settler's First Cabin 62 

Bake Kettle 64 

Tin Oven 64 

Tinder Box 65 

Bellows 5 

Candle Stick 6 

Dipping Candles 71 

Waffle Irons 76 

Pioneer Cheese Press 80 

Turnkeys 84 

Foot Stove 90 

Andirons "1 

Ox Frame 96 

Breaking Flax, Etc 97 

Baby's Cradle 97 

Fire Place 98 

Woman Spinning 99 

Barn Yard Scene 100 

Grandfather's Clock 101 

Cutting Grain With Sickle 102 

Stage Coach, Etc 107 

Bar-room Scene 109 



ILLUSTRATIONS. (Continued) 

Warming Pan 110 

Tom Trimsharp 113 

The Parade (General Training) 121 

Flint Lock Rifle 122 

Sa-go-ya-wat-ha Os-que-sont 129 

Red Jacket's Wampum Belt 130 

Chimney Stack 135 




JUN 30 1905 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 078 244 




""w^ 



